Augusta Technical College Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership History

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Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership History

In 1969 & 1970, recognizing the growth and importance of occupational training, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce held a series of leadership conferences and proposed the creation of a program to showcase vocational-technical students similar to the way the Student Teacher Achievement Recognition Program (STAR) acknowledges high school students.

Planning began with the vision to reward those who work with their hands and minds. The Georgia Department of Education and its Vocational Division, which became the Department of Technical and Adult Education (DTAE) in 1984, recognized the importance of these individuals.

A committee of school directors enthusiastically developed the basic design of the program. Launched in 1971 with a Name the Program contest, students throughout the state were invited to participate. More than 400 entries were received. The winning entry was submitted by Cheryl Aycock, a secretarial student at DeKalb Technical College: Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership - GOAL.

GOAL was immediately introduced and implemented at each of the then 25 area vocational-technical schools. As the schools nominated their outstanding students, screening and selection committees were appointed. Each school chose a local winner for the state judging and awards programs, which was held in Atlanta.

The first GOAL Conference convened with 25 schools winners and their instructors coming together for the final state judging activities on April 17, 1972. A panel representing leaders of business and industry, news media, state government, and other sectors selected the four-runners-up and our very first GOAL winner.

Bennie H. Williams, a first-year electronics student at Albany Technical College, was honored as the first state GOAL winner and was presented with a new automobile. The awarding of an automobile continues to be GOAL's tradition today.

Support from community, business, and industry leaders for the GOAL program is demonstrated each year through numerous prizes given to college and state GOAL winners. This demonstrated enthusiasm helps to expand the horizons of Georgia's outstanding technical education students while affirming the vital impact of our technical colleges on Georgia's work force, prosperity, and future. The elevation of technical schools from institutes to colleges illustrates just how valuable technical education is to our state, national, and the global economy.