Innovating Georgia’s Workforce Pipeline

Workforce Development in Georgia

Workforce development programs are nothing new for Georgia Economic Development organizations. In fact, Georgia Quick Start is the oldest program of its kind in the U.S. Recognized in various publications as a top program, Quick Start’s approach to partnering with industry and educators has become a gold standard for workforce development.

While Quick Start is a leading state program, communities are still tasked with creating workforce strategies that nurture and grow the talent within their regions that can respond to their local industry’s challenges. To that end, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at University of Georgia (CVIoG) hosts the annual Innovating Georgia’s Workforce Pipeline Conference to help leaders to explore the promising practices and emerging ideas to solve talent challenges around the state.

This year the conference spanned two-days in Athens, Georgia and brought together a spectrum of partners in workforce development, education, business, and economic development. Attendees had the option of attending multiple plenary and breakout sessions – each helping bring together leadership groups, foster connections, and empowering networking opportunities. Participants delved into best practices and discussed how to replicate diverse workforce development strategies in their communities.

Georgia Power was a champion sponsor, with subject matters across the organization participating in sessions that shared best practices, research, programs, and services that are available to help communities and businesses solve their workforce challenges.

Georgia Power Supports Workforce Development Across the State

If you weren't able to make it to Athens for the sold-out event, here are a few notes from our team's presentations. For a copy of the presentations, send us an email.

Workforce Development Specialist, Nikia M. Johnson supported the educational and interactive presentation, "From Exploration and Exposure to Experience." She was joined by Joycelyn White, School Counselor, Twiggs County Middle-High School and Georgia Power colleagues, Nataly Franco, Tool Repair Technician and Torin Scruggs, Lineman- Georgia Power.

During their workshop they helped attendees learn how to strengthen the partnerships, and impact , with a people-first approach to workforce development that utilizes the three-tiered approach of Exploration, Exposure and Experience.

Nikia shared her experience working with educators and industry across the state, "It's critical that any workforce partnership be intentional about its efforts to equip, reskill, and upskill the students or adults that are engaging in the partnership or program. Establishing what the desired outcomes are from the partnership, for example, program enrollment or a certain number of interns, is an important first step in that intentionality."

She also encouraged the participants to visiting Powering Careers for additional examples of these partnerships in action.

Marion Phillips, Research Manager Economic Development, presented alongside Rebecca Hunt, Public Service Faculty at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government and Dr. Valery Lowe, Director of College & Career Development for Forsyth County Schools. Their session, "Labor Market Data Use Cases" was a continuation of a session that Rebecca and she held last year with the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement on finding labor market data.

“The research team at Georgia Power Economic Development strives to help communities harness research for community and economic development. Specifically, how to find quality data, analyze the information, and then present that data visually and with purpose,” said Marion Phillips.

Marion shared several case studies that demonstrated the different ways Georgia Power helped partners with strengths and challenges, strategic planning, RFIs, CCA program alignment, and promotion/marketing. She walked the audience through different questions they need to answer when using data - who’s your audience, what problem are you trying to solve, what questions are you trying to answer – and then the best way to display your data with a few examples of static and interactive products.

Vanessa Wagner, Marketing Program Manager, invited attendees to learn how supporting entrepreneurs has a positive impact on retaining and growing the talent in a region in her session, “Entrepreneurship Support is Workforce Development.”

“In the past, economic development initiatives were placed into their own boxes – attraction, housing, workforce, etc. – but as our industries and communities have evolved, we are taking a more comprehensive approach to creating economically resilient communities. It’s important for leaders to identify and communicate how one initiative directly impacts another – like entrepreneurship and workforce,” said Vanessa Wagner,” said Vanessa Wagner.

Dean William Mounts, Lucas Center for Entrepreneurship at the College of Coastal Georgia, and Kiakala Ntemo, Economic Development Manager City of Brunswick joined Vanessa in a discussion that demonstrated how leaders can support entrepreneurs and empower those with an interest to start a business. Sharing that entrepreneurship programs not only help grow the local economy, but spark a culture that develops, attracts, and retains top talent.

Vanessa also presented GrowGeorgia.com, a tool available to help leaders and business owners find resources for their entrepreneurship ecosystems. Grow Georgia is a website launched in 2022 focused on helping diverse-founders and small businesses start and grow in Georgia.

Learn More

This is only a small sampling of the resources, programs, and strategies that were shared during the two days at University of Georgia. To learn more about how local communities and industry are partnering to strengthen the talent in Georgia, get in touch with a Regional Economic Development Manager. Find your regional expert on our Regional Economic Development Page.