Victoria Seals, President, Atlanta Technical College

In an interview with Focus: Dr. Victoria Seals, president of Atlanta Technical College, discussed enrollment growth, first-generation student support, employer partnerships, and changing workforce needs. “It really is about a pathway, rather than just a job,” Seals said.

What changes have had the greatest impact on Atlanta Technical College and its priorities over the past year?

We have focused on economic mobility, which is a core part of our mission. To drive that work, we have been intentional about our student services. We implemented our Center for Workforce Innovation in 2019 and scaled it during COVID in 2020. Over the past several years, particularly this past year, we have expanded our outreach across our communities. As a result, we have seen double-digit enrollment growth.

We have also focused on the achievement and success of our male students. Community colleges typically have a student population that is about 65% female and 35% male. Through intentional efforts, our male population has increased to 37%, while women represent 63%. We continue serving our women students while recognizing the need to help more men in our communities succeed.

Much of our work involves informing and connecting with students while helping them see the career pathway they are studying toward. We start with the end in mind, including the job awaiting them. We have developed several strong partnerships, including our Microsoft-powered Data Center Academy. It provides another pathway connected to data centers, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.

That same focus on pathways is reflected in how we are investing in our campus. We recently broke ground on the Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron Academic Complex, a $30 million, approximately 65,000-square-foot renovation and expansion that will strengthen programs in areas including artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing, film and media production, while also expanding our One Stop student services. The complex is significant not only because of what it will provide for students, but because it carries forward the legacy of Hank Aaron and his commitment to opportunity, education, and the Atlanta community.

What has enrollment growth revealed about the needs of today’s technical education students?

Along with our overall growth, we have seen an increase in the percentage of first-generation college students. More than 42% of the students we serve are now first-generation students. I was a first-generation college student myself, so I understand some of the challenges they must navigate. Sometimes, students do not know which questions to ask because they do not know what they do not know.

That growth is encouraging because it shows that we are touching more families and having a greater impact on the community. It also reminds us to be more intentional about the services we provide because college is a first for many of these students.

We take a holistic approach to serving the whole student and ensure that wraparound services are available. Students need technical skills to prepare for their career pathways, but they may also need help addressing barriers so they can focus and succeed. We continue seeking partners and supporters who can help us provide those services.

Our Early Learning Center is another important part of that whole-student approach, while also serving as a resource for the broader community. For students who are also parents, access to quality early learning and child care can be the difference between being able to pursue an education and having to put it on hold. The center allows us to support two generations at once, creating a strong learning environment for children while helping parents pursue their educational, career, and family goals.

What skills are employers across the Atlanta Metropolitan area seeking most often?

Georgia has done a good job of identifying its strategic industries and the high-demand careers. The state provides training opportunities for those careers, some of which can be tuition-free. Our employer partners tell us that, in addition to technical skills, students still need soft skills, which we call workplace essentials. These include communication, problem-solving, and the ability to work with others.

Coming out of COVID, we are seeing students who spent a significant amount of time learning virtually and away from other people. In some cases, their workplace readiness and social-emotional skills need further development. We are incorporating those concepts into our curriculum alongside technical instruction.

We provide hands-on scenarios for workplace skills, just as we do with technical equipment. When students graduate, they need to know their field, interact effectively with others, show up consistently, and properly communicate when they encounter a challenge.

What opportunities will the Data Center Academy create for students and Atlanta’s digital infrastructure sector?

Data centers have become a necessity because of the amount of data being generated, the need to keep it secure, and the speed at which people expect information. The Data Center Academy creates career pathways for students who want to work in data centers or help build them. Cybersecurity also remains a major area of interest and focus.

Artificial intelligence presents opportunities to use data more efficiently. People are sometimes afraid of AI, and educators want to ensure students are not using it improperly. At the college, we emphasize that it is not only about AI but also human intelligence. We train students, faculty, and staff to use AI as a tool that can improve efficiency without becoming so dependent on it that they stop using their own intelligence.

I am a mathematician by trade, and I compare AI with the introduction of the graphing calculator. Educators were concerned that students would stop learning because the calculator could do the work. It was still a tool, and students had to learn to use it responsibly. The same principle applies to AI, and the Data Center Academy gives us another opportunity to put that principle into practice by providing students with hands-on learning and exposure to the technologies and skills driving this industry.

As the data center sector continues to grow across Metro Atlanta and Georgia, we want to ensure our students have access to those opportunities while helping employers build a strong pipeline of skilled local talent. It is another example of how we are connecting education directly to the workforce needs of our region.

How is technology influencing the Center for Workforce Innovation and its employer engagement?

The Center for Workforce Innovation continues to grow in terms of the number of partners involved. Technology has also allowed us to enhance engagement with our industry partners. For example, students can conduct virtual interviews with AI agents as part of their preparation.

Those tools allow us to serve more students in a shorter period than we could by relying solely on partners coming to campus. We use the AI agents as a precursor. Students first receive that preparation and then meet with an actual person for mock interviews and other activities.

The Center for Workforce Innovation is the model under which we serve all our students. It continues to evolve and adapts to emerging needs through our employer partnerships.

How does the college keep its programs aligned with rapidly changing industries?

We remain on a three-year cycle for setting goals and establishing the basic elements of our strategy. However, our relationships with industry partners give us the flexibility to pivot quickly as industries change. That responsiveness is one of our strengths as a technical college.

All our programs have industry advisory councils that guide the curriculum, equipment, and software we use. These councils help us remain aligned with where each industry is going. If something is being phased out, we can adjust our curriculum or related laboratories so students continue training on the most relevant technologies.

Our goal is for students to be ready to go directly to work without needing significant additional training after they are hired. As the pace of change accelerates, industry connections help us stay ahead rather than trying to catch up.

How can technical colleges help residents progress from short-term training into careers with long-term advancement?

Our model is based on stackable credentials. Students can bring community-based training into a certificate program, build that into a longer certificate, and then progress toward an associate degree. When a bachelor’s degree makes sense for the pathway, we have partnerships with four-year institutions that allow the associate degree to transfer. Students avoid repeating coursework, saving time and money.

We also serve many career changers. Their industries may have changed, or their employers may have downsized, potentially because of AI or other developments. They can return for retraining or upskilling.

We incorporate adaptability into this work and help students become lifelong learners who know how to navigate and grow within a career pathway. Our faculty and staff stay current on how their fields are evolving so they can guide students and prepare them for change.

Where are the strongest opportunities for the college to support regional workforce and economic growth?

Georgia is working to become the top state for talent. Atlanta Technical College’s role is to stay connected with industry partners and continue providing innovative career preparation and pathway opportunities.

It really is about a pathway, rather than just a job. We have a 100% job placement rate, and we are proud of that. Students who complete our programs move into opportunities that can lead to economic mobility. However, we also want them to enter career pathways that allow them to continue growing within their industries.

As Georgia works to retain existing businesses and attract new ones, Atlanta Technical College and the state’s other technical colleges will play a critical role in preparing the workforce pipeline needed to help Georgia become the top state for talent.