Find a contractor Buyer's guide Partner with us
MCAA Logo
Log in Sign up Join Hi, there Account
2026 Midyear Registration is OPEN
Find a contractor Buyer's guide Partner
Log in Sign up Join Account

Industry and education partners open training center

Words: Westley DouglasWest Georgia Technical College and Crane Industry Services, LLC (CIS) announce a partnership through the College’s Economic Development Division to provide a new series of Skills Development Training Courses essential to construction, utilities, power generation, manufacturing, mining and refining.

Custom courses and open enrollment options are available at the new Centered on Safety Training Center™ on the WGTC Murphy Campus in Waco, Ga. The partnership between CIS, which provides crane and rigging training nationally and internationally, and WGTC is the result of an initiative to support workforce development needs.

Courses delivered by CIS instructors initially will include Basic and Advanced Rigging; Rigging Inspector; Crane Operator training, certification and qualification for Mobile, Overhead, and Tower Cranes; Crane Inspector; Crane Site Safety Management; and Power Line Safety for Utility Workers. Additional courses are in development.

“Our partnership with WGTC opens opportunities for employers to provide hands on, job specific training for personnel and for students seeking to enter the crane and rigging industry,” CIS CEO Debbie Dickinson said. “We bring accredited programs and certified instructors with on-the-job experience for the purpose of developing skilled craftspeople that America desperately needs to compete in the global economy.”

WGTC President Steve Daniel said the partnership allows the College to offer expanded programs. “The deep industry expertise of Crane Industry Services allows us to offer greatly expanded training in technically challenging program areas. This is a big benefit for area industries who need this training,” Daniel said.

Centered on Safety™ approach to training

After years of watching industries grapple with compliance issues, Crane Industry Services seeks to shift the priorities. “Test prep courses have minimal value when training is not relevant to the knowledge and skill employees need for day-to-day work,” Debbie Dickinson said. In contrast, CIS courses are designed for industry-specific crane and rigging work.

“Training and testing are not one size fits all,” CIS President Cliff Dickinson said. CIS employs NCCER certified master trainers, instructors and examiners who deliver validated and accredited training and certifications. “We provide hands-on training to develop proficiency beyond the baseline needed for certification and qualification,” Cliff Dickinson said.

WGTC Foundation Seeks Equipment Donations

To complement training offered at the Center, the WGTC Foundation is seeking short- or long-term loans or donations of equipment for the Centered on Safety courses. Cranes, aerial work platforms, rigging gear, excavators, welding equipment and other construction equipment are needed.

The WGTC Foundation is a private, non-profit 501(3C) corporation. Donations are tax-deductible. For information on making a donation, contact Foundation Executive Director Kim Learnard at 678.664.0515 or kim.learnard@westgatech.edu.
 0
Bonding with Masonry 2026: Q2
June 2026

This issue’s questions come from a Mason Contractor and an Engineer. What questions do you have? Send them to info@masonrymagazine.com, attention Technical Talk.

David Biggs
Bonding with Masonry
Read More
The Thirty-Year Mason: Ergonomics as a Retention Strategy
June 2026

In most industry circles, the conversation around the labor shortage follows a predictable script: How do we find the next generation of masons? While recruitment is vital, we often overlook the most valuable asset already on the job site: the experienced

Shayne Sanders
MAP Partner
Read More
Acme Brick Company Releases 2026 Pocket Guide to Brick Construction
June 2026

For more than four decades, all the basics of building with brick have come in a guide small enough to fit into a pocket. Acme Brick has just released a 2026 version of its Pocket Guide to Brick Construction. And yes, it’s still printed on paper just like

MAP Partner
Read More
Masonry in the Media: Casa Azul, Chapultepec Castle, & More
June 2026

A film’s settings can take viewers to new locations, all from the comfort of their own home. It immerses them in the scenes, whether they take place in an opera house in Brazil or a grand mansion in Mexico City. Explore how these Latin American masonry ma

Lily Burger
Masonry in the Media
Read More