By John Eden STAFF WRITER
The Press-Sentinel
Several key messages emerged from the recent regional summit on the impact of education and workforce issues on economic development.
The importance of early education to career success, the value of some kind of postsecondary education, and the need to communicate to students that good jobs are available at home with the right training were among the key points that presenters emphasized in the meeting at the Coastal Pines Technical College (CPTC) Jesup campus last week. With a panel of experienced leaders from several fields in this area, the Southeast Georgia Regional Summit on “Aligning education, workforce and economic development” left the large audience of educators and community leaders from all over the region asking, “How can I get my community to help spread the word on this issue?”
Lonnie Roberts, president of CPTC, told the group that CPTC has a strong and growing apprenticeship program featuring partnerships with 64 businesses in 13 counties. He said the program currently has 55 apprentices in place.
GPEE speaker
Keynote speaker Kathleen Da Silva of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education drove home several surprising data points in her message. She said that current data show that 40 percent of Georgia’s potential workforce have no degree beyond high school, and 70 percent of Georgia’s incarcerated population read below fourth-grade level. Da Silva presented a variety of slides with information on the current state of the workforce, emphasizing that the problem is not lack of ability in students but rather a lack of resources to get them the training they need.
“We need family-sustaining diplomas, apprenticeships, technical certificates—something beyond secondary!” she said. She said a major workforce issue is that the cost of day care leads many to decide to stay at home rather than work and pay for day care.
Panel discussion
uring the discussion, panel members Roberts; Candee Harris of the Wayne County Industrial Development Authority; Kim Bennett-Callahan, CTAE (career, technical and agricultural education) director at Ware County High School; and Gary Owens, owner of Southeast Pipe in Patterson, all emphasized the importance of spreading awareness in their communities of the importance of education and the availability of local opportunities for training and jobs. Harris reported that a recent study by the Carl Vinson Institute revealed that the majority of the workforce in Wayne County drove out of the county to work. She said that she hears from many employers that they can’t find the employees they need, with a variety of issues contributing to the loss of workforce. She also noted that a local Career Expo is planned for Oct. 8 at CPTC.
Gaps and challenges
Identifying gaps and challenges in the workforce development process, the panel members emphasized the importance of collaboration between all the various groups involved. Panel moderator Keri Orvin, Baxley’s city manager, told the group that the Southern Pines College and Career Academy in Appling County is a strong element in their efforts to keep students in the area. Owens said that lack of communication with the community is one of the problems that needs to be faced. He also lauded the apprenticeship programs at CPTC, saying he is passionate about the work the college is doing.
“Collaboration with Coastal Pines allows us to train local workers and to meet our employment needs,” he said. “We have the potential to grow because of this program.” Roberts said the programs “give businesses the opportunity to train employees the way they want to train them.” “It’s been a tremendous success,” he said. He also noted that the college’s dual-enrollment program highlights the value of technical education. “There are good jobs at home!” he said. “Getting the word out about the impact of these programs and the advantages of the programs to students is the challenge.” He said the community needs to get involved in spreading the message that “there are great career opportunities that don’t require a four-year degree.”
He said the very competitive tuition rates for the programs are one advantage, with HOPE grants and scholarships available, and he noted that most students leave the college debt-free. “We have a 99 percent placement rate and a 95 percent in-field placement rate,” he added. “We need to get the word out!” Bennett-Callahan emphasized that the CTAE program is working to bring community groups together and give students the chance to discover what career fields interested them. “It’s not a one-size-fitsall world,” she said. “We need to meet students where they are.”