A Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) graduate credits the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) program with empowering her to succeed.
Shannon Taylor was a low-income single parent seeking resources to assist her with covering the costs of an education when she entered GNTC in 2023. She earned certificates in Domestic and Family Violence Specialist and Addiction Specialist in 2024 before graduating with her associate degree in Social Work in 2025.
“I recall being overwhelmed because I was working full-time, parenting full-time and attending college full-time,” Taylor said. “Had WIOA not provided me with financial and emotional support, I am positive I would not have completed my degree in the same timeframe.”
WIOA is a federally-funded program that assists eligible students to obtain the education, skills and training needed to enter or advance in today’s workforce, as well as overcome financial barriers that could otherwise prevent them from completing their education. WIOA may pay a small travel stipend or assist with child care expenses to those who qualify. It may also pay for eligible program-related expenses, including tuition, fees, books and supplies.
A resident of Chickamauga, Taylor attended GNTC’s Walker County Campus in Rock Spring and is a first-generation college graduate. She is now married and a mother of two children.
As a GNTC student, she interned at the Children’s Advocacy Center – Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, which provides free services to children and families impacted by abuse and assists agencies involved in the intervention system. The center hired her full-time in November 2024 after she completed the internship, and she serves as the agency’s executive assistant.
“I’ve come full circle after confronting my own issues stemming from childhood abuse,” Taylor said. “WIOA helped me not only with financial support, gas money, money for books and other costs, but also connected me with other resources like the clothing closet and food pantry.”
“WIOA staff treated me as an individual with hopes and dreams that I could accomplish,” Taylor said. “I wasn’t a number or statistic to them, and they have followed up with me since I graduated to make sure everything is going well.”
Taylor said when she made the Dean’s List, Gena Williams, WIOA coordinator at GNTC, called her and was as excited about the achievement as she was; Freda Hartman, WIOA assistant at GNTC, has also been a great motivator for her.
“If there was anything I needed that I couldn’t get, WIOA was there to assist me,” Taylor said, urging those who think college is an unattainable dream that the help is there if they will reach out for it.
“WIOA can help to alleviate the financial strain sometimes associated with the cost of pursuing a technical education,” Williams said. “It collaborates with federal and state financial assistance to ensure that students focus on completing their education and enter or reenter the workforce, likely increasing their wages.”
WIOA assisted Taylor by first mapping out a plan that would allow her to continue working while completing her education, Williams said.
WIOA is offered on all six GNTC campuses and at selected vendor locations, Williams said. WIOA staff receives applications throughout the year and expedites their processing to enable students to obtain program assistance at the earliest opportunity.
The program is administered through the Technical College System of Georgia’s (TCSG) Department of WorkSource Georgia to the local administering entity; for this region, that agency is the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission (NWGRC), Williams said. In addition to program funding, the NWGRC also provides program oversight and ensures WIOA services are delivered according to federal and state requirements.
The NWGRC also provides supportive services for travel and childcare, associated with attending various levels of technical education, including associate degrees, diplomas and technical certificates of credit, Williams explained.
The program continues to support students after graduation by assisting them with their job search and following up with them after they being their new career, Williams said.
“WIOA is a proven program that is vital to our local workforce as a resource to assist those who have faced homelessness, disabled individuals, transitioning veterans, single parents, justice-involved individuals, low-income students and dislocated workers to find a career path suitable to their circumstances, complete training and get back into the workforce,” Williams said. “WIOA is a vital resource for those wanting to attain a credential and become more marketable in today’s workforce.”
Applicants are expected to be enrolled full-time and must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher, have good work ethics grades, have good attendance and maintain a positive attitude. Having fewer credit hours may be acceptable based on a student’s program of study, and students in some Healthcare programs must have completed pre-requisite classes and been accepted into the program to be eligible for WIOA assistance.
“WIOA is an amazing program that has helped participants realize a life that was once only imaginable,” Williams said. “WIOA staff members are committed to student success, and each one of us has a passion for helping others; we will guide participants through the process from start to finish.”
For more information about WIOA, call 706-516-5494.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College delivers high-quality workforce education to the citizens of northwest Georgia. Students can pursue associate degrees, diplomas and certificates in a wide range of career pathways, including aviation, business, health, industrial and public service. Over the past year, 14,082 people benefited from GNTC’s credit and noncredit programs. The college has an annual credit enrollment of 9,342 students and achieved a 100 percent placement rate. An additional 4,740 individuals are served through adult education, continuing education, business and industry training and Georgia Quick Start® programs.
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