The first students of the Macon-Area Vocational Technical School were accepted in 1966; at the time, the Vocational-Technical School operated under the governance of the Bibb County Board of Education. By 1973, student growth, industrial growth, and community demand led to the need for a new and larger campus. This new facility, located at 3300 Macon Tech Drive, was completed and occupied in 1978. In 1987 the name was changed to Macon Technical Institute (MTI).

Of the many changes that have occurred since the school's inception, the conversion from local to state governance has been one of the most significant. On July 1, 1989, MTI became a part of the system of the technical institutes under the governance of the State Board of Technical and Adult Education. The State Board then appointed a local Board of Directors to infuse a local representation into the management of the Institute.

Throughout the years, MTI has expanded to reflect the changing needs of the community. In July 1990 the institution expanded its outreach when it assumed governance of the Baldwin County Adult Center in Milledgeville. In 1991 the Aircraft Structural Technology program, located at 1062 Forsyth Street, moved to the main campus. In December 1992 the State Board approved the granting of Associate of Applied Technology (AAT) degrees. The first program to admit students at this degree level was Medical Laboratory Technology in October 1993.

In November 1993, MTI held the ground-breaking ceremony for a new facility on the south side of the Macon Campus off Raymonde Kelley Drive. Construction on the new facility began in early 1994 and was completed in January 1996. The facility currently houses health programs, a student lecture hall, and a 250-seat auditorium. Also included in this construction phase was an aircraft hangar that provided the laboratory space for expanded aerospace training.

70 acres of land was transferred from another state agency to the Department of Technical and Adult Education to build a satellite campus in Milledgeville. Construction on the Milledgeville Campus began in 1996, and the campus opened in fall 1997.

On July 6, 2000, as part of the Education Reform Act, Macon Technical Institute changed its name to Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC) to more accurately reflect the seven-county area that the college serves. These counties include Baldwin, Bibb, Crawford, Jones, Monroe, Putnam, and Twiggs.

The CGTC Foundation's Board of Trustees purchased a building near the main campus in 2003, and assisted in raising funds to renovate the building. The building houses the Adult Learning Center, which is the location for the Adult Literacy Program that the college assumed governance of from the Bibb County Board of Education in July 2001.

The College's expansion continued with the Putnam County Center opening in September 2002, and the Crawford County Center opening in 2004. The College Center located on the main campus also opened in 2004, and it houses the School of Arts and Science, Library, Food Court, and Bookstore.

The College's first president retired July 2006. The Department of Technical and Adult Education selected an interim president to serve the college during the presidential search. The College’s second president began in February 2007.

The new J Building opened in 2006 and houses the dental clinic, criminal justice program. Several student services were consolidated under one roof. The Department of Technical and Adult Education approved a request from the local Board of Directors' to name new building The Melton Palmer, Jr. Building to recognize the accomplishments of the College's first president.