Gwinnett Daily Post

LAWRENCEVILLE -- Gwinnett Technical College and the Georgia Institute of Technology have been awarded a $1.65 million grant to help enhance the state's health information technology sector.

Both colleges are part of the Atlanta Health Information Technology cluster. The institutions have been awarded based on the federal government's Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge, a multiagency competition initiated to advance 20 regional industry clusters.

The Atlanta HIT cluster's proposal was one of 20 chosen from 125 applicants.

Gwinnett Tech President Sharon Bartels said the college hopes to use the funds to develop a one-year certificate in health information technology. The "Feet on the Ground" program, designed for veterans and unemployed/underemployed individuals, aims to provide training for employment in the areas of software development, sales and customer service, medical billing and coding and computer networking within health care provider organizations.

Stated Bartels: "This grant and the resulting "Feet on the Ground" program is great news for our veterans, those unemployed and underemployed, and individuals eager to enter the rapidly growing field of health information technology."

Added Bartels: "HIT is a growing sector where there are jobs, for those with the right skills and training."

She said the program will help fill the need for a skilled workforce and connect job seekers with employers.

For information about the grant, visit www.eda.gov/investmentsgrants/jobsandinnovationchallenge.

For more information about Gwinnett Tech, visit www.gwinnetttech.edu.