Barbara Jones-Brown was excited about the new opportunity for her business.

Her software company, which specializes in loss prevention and security, had received a new contract with a robotics company. The goal, Jones-Brown said, was to run her company’s software on the robots.

But there was a catch: The vendor also needed someone to perform hardware maintenance on the robots — not just update the software.

“We’re all software programmers and that’s what we do — we build the technology,” said Jones-Brown, CEO of Freeing Returns.

So she turned to Georgia AIM for assistance.

Freeing Returns connected with Georgia AIM through Jones-Brown’s longstanding relationship with the Georgia MBDA Business Center. As a former MBDA Business Center client, she knew exactly who to call when she needed skilled interns with robotics expertise.

Her request made its way through Georgia AIM’s statewide network — a partnership that includes the Technical College System of Georgia — and landed at the Georgia VECTR Center in Warner Robins. There, the Georgia AIM-supported AI-Enhanced Robotic Manufacturing Studio trains military members transitioning to civilian careers in robotics and advanced manufacturing.

That summer, she brought on four interns, each with hands-on robotics training that complemented her team of software designers.

A New Skill Set

What made the internship unique, Jones-Brown said, was the technical range the students brought to the table.

“This is new stuff,” she said. “You don’t have to be a programmer, but you need to know enough technical things to be able to connect wi-fi and have the correct current going through and make sure the parts inside aren’t touching because there might be too much static.”

Those are technical details programmers may understand in theory, but not always in practice. The VECTR students had already worked with robotics systems in a lab environment.

“These four guys, they were right with (my client) lock-step. Everything he was telling them, they had seen it in class,” she said. “I was like, ‘This class is amazing!’ Whatever you all are teaching, it was spot-on, because they did such a great job.”

The result: Freeing Returns retained the contract.

The VECTR Center is one example of how Georgia AIM’s partnerships are strengthening robotics and advanced manufacturing training across the state. While the VECTR Center features a dedicated robotics lab, other TCSG campuses offer advanced manufacturing programs tailored to the needs of their regional industries. Graduates leave with hands-on training that aligns with the needs of local industry.

That statewide infrastructure makes it possible for companies — particularly small and midsized firms like Freeing Returns — to access highly trained interns with robotics expertise.

New Opportunities

Roberto Pendleton was one of the four VECTR Center graduates who interned with Freeing Returns. He described the experience as a turning point.

“The training I received at the VECTR Center helped me to be prepared for the internship that I had,” he said. “I gained more knowledge in terms of electricity and how PLCs worked, and other things while working with electricians and instrument techs.”

After completing the internship with Freeing Returns and another internship with a medical company, Pendleton secured a full-time position with an automation company, where he now works directly on robot programming, preventive maintenance and systems troubleshooting.

Between his coursework and real-world experience, he said he felt well prepared to step into the role.

For Freeing Returns, access to an in-state talent pool has opened new doors. By expanding its loss-prevention services to include physical robots, not just software, the company has positioned itself to grow.

“Our software is for retailers, but security robots are a perfect addition to what we do,” Jones-Brown said. Many companies are moving to robotic security guards out of a concern for safety. “So that’s the beauty of it; we can say our software is robot-friendly.”