Building the Next Workforce: Georgia Discussion Forums
Author(s)
Wilkins, Joy
Brown, Mac
Advisor(s)
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Abstract
Workforce development was widely viewed by stakeholders across Georgia as an area
of critical challenges and opportunities for the state that must be addressed. The
future workforce – the state’s youth - was widely described as needing greater
preparation for today’s jobs and tomorrow’s opportunities. The current workforce –
the state’s adults – was largely seen as needing greater development in the skills and
talents needed by the state’s businesses to be competitive in a global economy.
Participants called for the need to build a more flexible, transitional, and creative
workforce and largely linked it to Georgia’s future economic development potential.
For many stakeholders, these forums provided a unique and first-time opportunity for
them to come together and discuss workforce development challenges and potential
solutions from a regional perspective. A common conclusion among the forums was
that the dialog was valuable and informative - resulting in the discovery of new ways of working together- and that the dialog should continue, in a regional context.
The report includes select points made by stakeholders in various regions regarding three of the main discussion themes – educational achievement among the emerging and future workforce, current workforce traits, and serving industry. As is the case with forums of this nature and scope, the participants offered highly generalized observations. Two other discussion themes are also briefly highlighted in this section - issues of regional importance and creative solutions.
Sponsor
Georgia Governor's Office of Workforce Development
Georgia State Workforce Investment Board
Georgia Department of Labor
U.S. Economic Development Administration
Date
2007-06
Extent
Resource Type
Text
Resource Subtype
Paper