Atlanta – In order to better serve Georgia’s adult learners, the Atlanta office of the state’s GED Testing Service has announced plans to extend its business hours to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Previously, GED examinees and GED graduates in need of an official transcript could only come to the Atlanta office on Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Beginning January 9, those who work or would otherwise find the regular times difficult can take advantage of the Atlanta office’s longer Wednesday hours.

The extended business hours are part of a continuing effort by the Technical College System of Georgia, which manages the state’s adult literacy programs, to deliver on Governor Perdue’s statewide customer service initiative to create easier access for Georgians to state services.

To mark the occasion, the Atlanta office of the Georgia GED Testing Service will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, January 9, 2008.  The office is located on the 3rd floor of 1800 Century Place, Atlanta. The media is invited to attend.

A reception will follow the ribbon-cutting, which will include comments from Carl Swearingen, the chairman of the state board the oversees the Technical College System of Georgia, as well as Technical College System Commissioner Ron Jackson and Sylvia Robinson, the assistant vice president for the American Council on Education and executive director for the GED Testing Service in Washington, D.C. 

Several GED graduates will also speak about how obtaining their GED has changed their lives for the better.

In addition, representatives from the Georgia Student Finance Commission and Georgia Department of Labor will be on hand to answer questions and encourage GED examinees to continue their transition into higher education and the workforce.
 
Swearingen has challenged the state’s adult literacy program, which produced 17,230 GED graduates in 2006, to double that number by the year 2012.  That’s an important goal, as it’s estimated that almost one million men and women in Georgia do not have a high school diploma.  According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a person with a high school degree or a GED will earn $7,700 more annually than a non-high school graduate.

The first 200 GED examinees who take advantage of the Atlanta office’s new hours will receive a complimentary GED transcript (normally a $5 value).

GED tests are developed by the General Educational Development Testing Service of the American Council on Education.  GED tests are designed to provide an opportunity for adults who have not graduated from high school to earn an equivalent educational diploma by measuring the academic skills and knowledge associated with a high school program of study.

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