Positive News in Greene and Putnam County
INVESTED & COMMITTED
A Special Supplement to
www.lakeoconeebreeze.net • Thursday, October 4
Local community leaders respond to our question:
What role does education play in economic development and building the labor force and what steps in training/education must we take to get where we need to be? ducation and economic development growth go hand in hand. The development and future prosperity of any community depend heavily upon the groundwork a community makes in education today. One of the biggest lessons the recent economic recession taught us was that it is vital for every community to have strong resources and support for education. When residents lost jobs in the recession and recent graduates searched for work with limited career opportunities available, training and re-training of prospective employees became crucial. Programs such as Georgia Keith Work Ready, Certified Literate Communities, Go Build Barlow Georgia and the Georgia College and Career Academies Publisher signify to prospective businesses and industries that the Lake Oconee Breeze local community is in tune with their employment needs and wants and that the community working toward developing the skill level of local residents. This way, industries can be assured that the local community is trained and prepared to meet employment opportunities. We no longer exist in a world or an economy where possessing one skills set always translates to a 30-year career at the same job and with the same employer. Skills sets must be multi-tiered and they must also include training and education beyond a high school diploma. Reducing the dropout rate and getting local students to high school graduation is a first step, but not a final step. High school dropouts earn less over the course of their lifetime than those with some level of higher education, and children of parents with higher education and skills development in their background are more likely to work toward the same. An educated community is a community with a strong foundation for building economic development and job growth, and the only way this is possible is through schools and community working together to promote and encourage high school completion and promoting the value of advanced education. Everyone plays a part in supporting education. Everyone and every sector has a roll, and community partnerships are vital to success. Business leaders, community leaders, parents, educators and churches all play a part — and we all have a stake.
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reating a skilled workforce is perhaps the most critical challenge facing Georgia’s economic future today. How important is a qualified workforce to economic growth? Whether it’s a new industry prospect or an existing industry expansion, it all begins and ends with people. Economic Development = Workforce Development. Creating new jobs and sustaining existing jobs is the primary focus of everyone working in economic development. Georgia’s ability to compete and a company’s ability to expand depends upon the availability of a qualified workforce. When it comes to workforce, the difference between supply and demand is skills. The lack of a skilled workHank force inhibits regional, national and international ecoGriffeth nomic health. CGTC Vice President of The economic success of a community is related to Satellite Operations the number of graduates it produces. Eighteen percent of Georgia’s adult population — more than 1.2 million Becky Lee adults — has less than a high school education. The CGTC Vice President of vision is a fully literate Georgia and a workforce that is Economic Development well prepared to compete in the global marketplace. Literacy is the bedrock of workforce development. In order to prepare students for work, a close working relationship between educators and the business community is essential. Georgia’s technical education system is one of the best in the nation. It is important we continue to educate students and parents about the wonderful careers available to those who attend a state technical college. The demand for these graduates is strong, with the most significant benefits of a technical education being: courses that fit interests and career goals, affordability, many career options, and can be a first step towards a bachelor’s degree. A technical education provides world class training that is accessible, affordable and accommodating for all citizens. We must take the steps to insure that everyone in our community is aware of and understands the offerings of these institutions, and sees the benefits of the training through the support of their family, their teachers, prospective employers and community leaders.
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