An open house will be held Tuesday to unveil a new program at Georgia Northwestern Technical College.

The Instrumentation and Controls Academy is a partnership with Southern Company and is designed to provide high-level training for I&C professionals for potential employment in the growing field.

The open house on the GNTC Polk County Campus will include local elected officials, business leaders and media.

The academy will prepare students for a career in instrumentation and controls, a field in which industry professionals are in high demand. I&C workers perform basic maintenance functions such as trouble shooting, repair, installation and maintenance of instruments, control devices, and electronic equipment through a combination of theory and hands-on training.

“Southern Company was willing to step up to the plate and contribute considerable resources for the Instrumentation and Controls Academy,” said GNTC President Craig McDaniel. “This has been the most productive partnership I have seen between a company and a technical college in all the years I have been involved with technical education.”

Graduates of the program will be eligible for potential internships and job opportunities with Southern Company affiliates and other companies within the I&C field. Students may also earn other academic awards within the Industrial Systems Technology program at GNTC.

“Southern Company is excited about this partnership with Georgia Northwestern Technical College that will prepare professionals for this demanding and rewarding field,” said Ed Day, Southern Company executive vice president and head of the company’s Engineering and Construction Services organization. “GNTC does an outstanding job of sending well-prepared workers into the job market, and this program will fill the need for individuals with specific skills.”