Augusta Tech receives $6.8 million to complete Jim Hudson Automotive Institute

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Augusta Technical College has been awarded a large federal grant to help finish its Jim Hudson Automotive Institute.

The federal investment, according to Augusta Technical College, is in the amount of $6,808,307, and is funded from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

“This grant is a powerful investment in Augusta’s economic future,” said Dr. Kendricks D. Hooker, President of Augusta Technical College. “The Jim Hudson Automotive Institute will directly address critical workforce shortages while creating pathways to high-wage, in-demand careers for our students. By transforming a legacy automotive site into a modern training facility, we are aligning education, industry, and economic development in a way that delivers real value to employers and opportunity to our community.”

The facility, once renovations are complete, is expected to serve as a state-of-the-art automotive workforce training center to help prepare students in careers related to automotive maintenance technology.

“The Institute will expand Augusta Tech’s automotive training footprint and serve hundreds of credit and non-credit students annually,” a statement from Augusta Technical College reads in part. “It is designed to support dealership operations, fleet maintenance, and emerging vehicle technologies, while providing hands-on, industry-aligned instruction that responds to both regional and national labor market demand.”