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A SpecialSupplement to

www.lakeoconeebreeze.net • Thursday, October 4

Local community leaders respond to our question:

What role does education playin economic development andbuilding the labor force and

what steps in training/education must we

take to get where we need to be?

Education and economic development growth gohand in hand. The development and futureprosperity of any community depend heavily

upon the groundwork a community makes in educationtoday.

One of the biggest lessons the recent economic reces-sion taught us was that it is vital for every community tohave strong resources and support for education. Whenresidents lost jobs in the recession and recent graduatessearched for work with limited career opportunitiesavailable, training and re-training of prospectiveemployees became crucial. Programs such as GeorgiaWork Ready, Certified Literate Communities, Go BuildGeorgia and the Georgia College and Career Academiessignify to prospective businesses and industries that thelocal community is in tune with their employment needsand wants and that the community working toward

developing the skill level of local residents. This way, industries can beassured that the local community is trained and prepared to meet employ-ment opportunities. We no longer exist in a world or an economy where pos-sessing one skills set always translates to a 30-year career at the same joband with the same employer. Skills sets must be multi-tiered and they mustalso include training and education beyond a high school diploma.

Reducing the dropout rate and getting local students to high school gradu-ation is a first step, but not a final step. High school dropouts earn less overthe course of their lifetime than those with some level of higher education,and children of parents with higher education and skills development intheir background are more likely to work toward the same.

An educated community is a community with a strong foundation for build-ing economic development and job growth, and the only way this is possibleis through schools and community working together to promote and encour-age high school completion and promoting the value of advanced education.

Everyone plays a part in supporting education. Everyone and every sectorhas a roll, and community partnerships are vital to success. Business lead-ers, community leaders, parents, educators and churches all play a part —and we all have a stake.

KeithBarlow

PublisherLake Oconee Breeze

Creating a skilled workforce is perhaps the mostcritical challenge facing Georgia’s economicfuture today. How important is a qualified work-

force to economic growth? Whether it’s a new industryprospect or an existing industry expansion, it all beginsand ends with people. Economic Development =Workforce Development. Creating new jobs and sus-taining existing jobs is the primary focus of everyoneworking in economic development. Georgia’s ability tocompete and a company’s ability to expand dependsupon the availability of a qualified workforce.

When it comes to workforce, the difference betweensupply and demand is skills. The lack of a skilled work-force inhibits regional, national and international eco-nomic health.

The economic success of a community is related tothe number of graduates it produces. Eighteen percentof Georgia’s adult population — more than 1.2 millionadults — has less than a high school education. Thevision is a fully literate Georgia and a workforce that iswell prepared to compete in the global marketplace.Literacy is the bedrock of workforce development.

In order to prepare students for work, a close working relationshipbetween educators and the business community is essential. Georgia’s tech-nical education system is one of the best in the nation. It is important wecontinue to educate students and parents about the wonderful careersavailable to those who attend a state technical college. The demand forthese graduates is strong, with the most significant benefits of a technicaleducation 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 toinsure that everyone in our community is aware of and understands theofferings of these institutions, and sees the benefits of the training throughthe support of their family, their teachers, prospective employers and com-munity leaders.

HankGriffeth

CGTC Vice President ofSatellite Operations

Becky LeeCGTC Vice President ofEconomic Development

2 – Invested & Committed Thursday, October 4, 2012www.lakeoconeebreeze.net

Education is one of the mostpowerful engines of econom-ic development.

The entire community profits whenbusiness, industry and publicschools partner with higher educa-tion to create a seamless pathway forstudents to graduate prepared forcollege and career opportunities.Education benefits individuals inmany ways including documentedhigher lifetime earnings, and bene-fits local communities and the state

as a whole. In every educated student, the state and nation save

money, which would be spent in social arenas such ashealth, welfare and law enforcement while simultane-ously boosting the economy via a skilled workforce,increased productivity and attraction to businessdevelopment.

The vast majority of jobs in the future will requiresome form of post-high school education — a highschool diploma is no longer a passport to prosperity —so students must be prepared with content, practicalapplication skills and “soft” employment skills thatmake them competitive.

Marcia T.Clanton

SuperintendentPutnam County

Charter School System

The role of education is vitalto economic developmentand building a labor force

for the 21st century. As we look atour everyday environment and themany aspects involved in its func-tion we can see that we are nolonger a “strong back” and “sweat ofthe brow” society.

Mechanics of modern day automo-biles must be able to operate com-puterized diagnostic equipmentbefore he can begin repairs on a carthat also requires many differenttorque specifications. In manufac-turing plants most of the labor thatwas once done by humans is now

done by a series of robotic equipment and a mere hand-ful of technicians that operate them. There are fewerjobs to compete for because so many of them have

moved to other countries where wages are lower andenvironmental restrictions are more relaxed. While weare very hopeful that we will soon see such outsourcingof jobs that were once domiciled in the American mar-ket end, it is a reality of the time.

Our greatest weapon to combat the issues that we faceis to raise the education levels of our workforce.Although there is no “cookie cutter” or “one size fitsall” approach to improving education attainment for thesake of improving economic development in our com-munities, is has come to the forefront of our way ofaddressing job growth.

In recent years, programs such as the GeorgiaCertified Work Ready and Certified Literacy Programshave been implemented to show that our communitiesare preparing our workforce to meet the needs ofprospective and existing employees.

If we are to remain competitive in the Global work-place market we must continue to invest in and imple-ment programs that educate and train our workforce.

John ReidMayor

City of Eatonton

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Thursday, October 4, 2012 Invested and Committed – 3www.lakeoconeebreeze.net

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Education is vital to the eco-nomic health and develop-ment of our community, state

and nation. It is the foundation uponwhich America is built. As individuals,education is what prepares us to holdrewarding jobs. A quality educationgives us a better chance of having acareer that allows us to raise our stan-dard of living and give our children aworld of opportunities. Education isthe key to lifting people out of povertyand despair.

At the community level, education iswhat enables our area to attract andretain quality employers and all thebenefits that come with a strong eco-nomic base. As a state and nation, edu-

cation is what enables us to thrive in a democratic repub-lic and to compete in today’s global marketplace.

Good jobs require good education. Here at St. Mary’sGood Samaritan Hospital, for example, we depend on high-ly educated people to provide the care our patients need —doctors, nurses, therapists, pharmacists, and technologists,to name a few. We rely on people who can process complexregulations and work with insurance companies, Medicareand Medicaid. We also need our patients to be educated.Education helps our patients better understand theirhealth needs and enjoy quality outcomes.

So what do we need to do to improve education? We mustinvest in good schools and good teachers. We must provideteachers with the tools they need to teach, and our chil-dren with the supplies and technology they need to be com-petitive in tomorrow’s workplace. We must have strong,locally available post-secondary education to train peopleto meet the changing needs of employers in our communi-ty. But most importantly, as families and as individuals, wemust embrace the truth that education is essential to ourown economic and personal wellbeing. First and foremost,we must want to learn.

MontezCarter

Interim PresidentSt.Mary’s Good

Samaritan Hospital

As a small business owner whohas served the area for almost15 years, finding employees

capable of providing the high level ofprofessional service this communityhas come to expect is a continualchallenge. It is particularly difficultin the medical community, where wemust have licensed, uniquely skilledlabor.

Currently, we have four dentalhygienists who each travel an aver-age of 100 miles round trip to ouroffice. Some have considered movingcloser, but the uncertainty and avail-ability of school options for theirfamilies has placed their plans onhold. These same decisions are being

made by doctors, nurses, technicians, and support staffof other offices and hospitals in our area.

As an employer, I often make considerable traininginvestments in staff, only to find that eventually thecommute catches up with these employees, and they opt

for employment closer to home. The area loses anopportunity to gain new residents and tax revenue,while I lose skilled employees, invested time andmoney.

If we want to see economic growth, our communityneeds to attract, educate and provide amenities to theentrepreneurs who start businesses and the individualsthey seek to employ. That starts with investment in thelocal schools because high-performing schools attractthose business-oriented individuals.

It’s impossible to achieve sustainable economic devel-opment if we don't invest in our people. The only way totruly invest in our people is through quality education.

As citizens and leaders, we need to take a long-termperspective. We need to support and nurture the schoolsthat are achieving academic success, and duplicate thatsuccess where we can. Where education isn’t working,we need to partner together to improve quality Thisrequires courageous reform and financial commitment.If we work together to build and attract an educatedlabor force, our community can expect faster economicgrowth that will yield considerable return for years tocome.

Dr. DavidBradley

Lake Oconee Dentistry

138019

4 – Invested and Committed Thursday, October 4, 2012www.lakeoconeebreeze.net

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