James November-December 2024 web - Flipbook - Page 69
E D UCAT I O N
Augusta • Brunswick • Valdosta
Supporting Community Transformation
BY M AT T H E W S M I T H
n September, Gov. Brian Kemp announced
that Area Development
magazine had named
Georgia the “Number One State for
Business” for the 11th consecutive
year. In remarks given at the Governor’s Workforce Summit, Kemp
highlighted state assets like Georgia
Quick Start, a customized worker training program, and Georgia
MATCH, an initiative that informs
high school seniors about their eligibility for admission at state higher
education institutions. The governor
also commended the Department of
Economic Development for supporting business expansions and relocations that resulted in nearly 27,000
new jobs statewide.
Increasingly, large multinational
corporations have expanded operations in regional hubs outside of
the Metro Atlanta area: automobile
manufacturing in Bryan and Troup
counties; expanded shipping and
logistics operations in the Ports of
Brunswick and Savannah; and solar
panel production in Cartersville and
Dalton. While state economic development incentives were pivotal in attracting these businesses, the Georgia Partnership— through its regional
engagement work— has observed the
positive impact that local chambers
of commerce have had on improving
the attractiveness of regional hubs
across the state. This article profiles
three chambers that have supported
greater alignment between education and industry leaders in their
communities.
AUGUSTA
The Augusta Metro Chamber of
Commerce sponsors two initiatives
that increase alignment between
education and the workforce. The
first, Students2Work, is a six-week,
paid internship program for rising
high school juniors and seniors. Employees in several workforce sectors,
including banking, energy, health,
and recreation, sponsor interns.
The second initiative, building
on the success of the Students2Work program, is a web-based
platform called Talent2Work. This
platform allows students and school
staff to network with employers and
nonprofit community partners. It
also provides content that encourages students to explore careers
and identify how their interests and
aptitudes align with in-demand,
high-wage job opportunities. Teachers and administrators can view
student profiles and their progress
in building resumes and completing
pre-employment courses. Employers
can then connect to job seekers and
recommend pre-hire training that
would make students more prepared for available positions.
BRUNSWICK-GOLDEN ISLES
For the last three years, the
Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of
Commerce has partnered with the
Glynn County School District on the
Connect Glynn Externship program
to offer summer externship opportunities for educators. Externships
allow educators to observe how
concepts delivered in their classroom translate to the world of work.
As part of the experience, participating educators create a portfolio
that highlights at least four positions
in the company and describes the
training requirements to succeed in
the jobs.
While Connect Glynn draws
from educators across the Glynn
County School District, many come
from Golden Isles College & Career
Academy. It’s a school that works
with business and industry partners to increase alignment between
education and workforce strategies.
Through a partnership with Coastal
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