A Quick History

Guilford Technical Community College (often shortened as GTCC, Guilford Tech, or "G-Tech") was founded as the Guilford Industrial Education Center on April 3, 1958, the training facility was established to prepare workers for technical jobs created by the rapid manufacturing growth in the county. The future GTCC opened that August in Jamestown on the site of the former Guilford County Tuberculosis Sanatorium [1924-1955] with 50 students enrolled in two classes. In 1965, when the center was elevated to Guilford Technical Institute, the school was authorized to grant associate degrees.
The State Board of Community Colleges approved GTI’s request to add a college transfer program in 1983, and the institution became Guilford Technical Community College. GTCC’s mission has basically remained unchanged: the institution is charged to give the people of Guilford County the training and education they need to compete in the job market.
For the 2008-09 academic year, GTCC is offering 93 degrees, 26 diplomas and 78 certificates, a total of 197 awards from 90 unique programs. Two new degree programs, Health Care Management Technology and Cyber Crime Technology, have been added for 2008-09. The college also offers personal enrichment courses, a variety of adult literacy opportunities and training for business and industry.
GTCC operates from three campuses; the main campus in Jamestown at 601 High Point Road, the High Point Campus, 901 South Main Street, the Greensboro Campus at 3505 East Wendover Avenue, and two centers; the T. H. Davis Aviation Center at 260 North Regional Road, Piedmont Triad International Airport and the Small Business Center, 207 Yanceyville Street, Greensboro.
GTCC is the third largest of 58 community colleges in North Carolina and President Donald W. Cameron [1991] is the longest tenured president in GTCC history. It is the third largest community college in the state, with over 13,000 students as of the Fall 2010 semester.
As of 2004, GTCC's High Point campus is home to the Larry Gatlin

Larry Gatlin

Larry Wayne Gatlin is an American country music singer/songwriter. He is perhaps best known for teaming up with his brothers Steve and Rudy in the late 1970s, becoming one of country music's most successful acts of the 1970s and 1980s. Gatlin has had a total of 33 Top 40 singles...

 School of Entertainment Technology, a program that started in 2000. It offers associate's degrees in Recording Engineering, Concert Sound and Lighting, Artist Management, and Music Performance. It is the only program of its kind in North Carolina, and has garnered nationwide attention from a variety of colleges and universities looking to implement (or improve) similar programs.
The College also offers a middle college program at all of its locations. Students attend honors classes daily. The total program emphasizes academic preparation as well as the development of the total individual. The Middle College offers a diverse academic curriculum including Honors courses in English, mathematics, science, foreign languages, and social studies.

Background and Mission

The school opened in 1958 with 50 students and two classes as the Guilford Industrial Education Center on the site of the Guilford County Tuberculosis Sanatorium

Sanatorium

A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...

, which had operated from 1924 to 1955. The purpose of GTCC has remained basically unchanged since it first opened: to give the people of Guilford County the training and education they need to compete in the job market. Today the mission of Guilford Technical Community College is to provide access to lifelong learning opportunities for personal growth, workforce productivity, and community service.

Locations

Campus locations can be found in Jamestown

Jamestown, North Carolina

Jamestown is a town in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and is a suburb of the nearby cities of Greensboro and High Point. The population was 3,088 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Jamestown is located at ....

, Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...

, High Point

High Point, North Carolina

High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina....

, the Aviation Center at the Piedmont Triad International Airport

Piedmont Triad International Airport

Piedmont Triad International Airport is an airport just west of Greensboro, serving Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem as well as the entire Piedmont Triad Region in North Carolina. The airport has 3 runways; the third opened January 27, 2010 for traffic. The airport is located just off...

, and the Small Business Center. Another campus will be located near the Piedmont Triad International Airport. In 2007, GTCC began offering eDegrees giving students the opportunity to obtain a number of degrees online without coming to campus.

The school is part of the statewide North Carolina Community College System

North Carolina Community College System

The North Carolina Community College System is a statewide network of fifty-eight public community colleges. Each college has a distinct governance system and policies. In total, the system enrolls over 800,000 students, and is the third largest community college system in the nation...

.