For Augusta Technical College in Georgia, the biggest news to come out of the Masters Tournament being played a few miles away had nothing to do with Tiger Woods.
Augusta National Golf Club and Jim Hudson Automotive Group each announced $1 million donations to the college last week for new automotive training programs.
The gifts will support a service training center set to open this year that aims to help fill demand for technicians.
“Cars have always been in my blood, and this partnership with Augusta Technical College will allow young men and women the opportunity to be educated and trained in the automotive world,” Jim Hudson, founder of the group with 11 locations in Augusta and South Carolina, said in a statement.
The college will be able to quadruple its service training footprint, offering 16 certification programs to about 1,270 students annually. It also is working with Toyota, General Motors, Honda and other automakers and plans to offer programs related to dealership management.
“Our plans are to operate a fully simulated automotive dealership,” college President Jermaine Whirl said, calling it “a forward-thinking approach to training the next generation of automotive professionals.”