Fri, March 29, 2024

Employment

B2B Stories

CSRA businesses help military spouses looking for work

No one would argue that military life is hard. It’s a commitment like few others. While service members know that no matter where they are sent, they will have a job, it’s very different for their spouses. A comprehensive Military Family Lifestyle Report (the largest annual study of military families, conducted by Blue Star Families) found that 20% of military spouses in the labor force are unemployed and actively seeking work. For perspective, the unemployment rate in Augusta/Richmond County is 4.4%. In partnership with Fort Eisenhower, the U.S. Chamber of

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B2B Stories

Multi-million dollar hiring plan

One of the Augusta area’s largest employers is hanging out the “Help Wanted” sign. Augusta University’s targeted student enrollment growth means the university itself needs to grow. Just over $6 million will be allocated for the immediate addition of 43 new faculty, 24 new full-time staff, two temporary positions, and 42 new student-worker positions. A portion will be used to add infrastructure supporting the new hires. The university needs additional faculty and staff after notching a student enrollment of 10,546 for fall 2023. That is a 7.5% increase over fall

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B2B Stories

Universities fueling the workforce pipeline for tourism and hospitality jobs

Travel, tourism, and hospitality are rebounding following a slump during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Augusta University and UGA are helping bump the numbers by offering training programs for those industries. A recent report from the University of Georgia (UGA), listed hospitality and tourism as the second largest contributor to the state’s economy. In 2022, there were nearly 168 million visitors generating $39.8 billion in direct visitor spending. That translates to $4.7 billion in state and local tax revenues. In Athens, the UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel

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B2B Stories

$42 million to boost physician shortage challenges

The good news is that Georgia is growing. The bad news is the state has a huge shortage of doctors. Dr. David Hess, Dean of the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) made that point clear in his annual State of the College address. He said Georgia currently ranks 40th in the country in the number of primary care physicians. “All these counties, which are blue, or yellow are short, so there’s hardly any place that has enough physicians,” he said, using a slide to demonstrate the shortages. “And even worse,

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B2B Stories

National workforce training program headed to Augusta

A program created by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) is coming to Augusta, one of just nine locations selected. The Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce will partner with Augusta Technical College to select a cohort of adult learners of color who are underemployed or unemployed. The program will train them in an industry credential or degree. Details of the program are being worked out, but Sue Parr, President of the Augusta Metro Chamber, told ABD the first cohort will run for 18 months. “You know, it’s scary

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Consumer Stories

Students ready to dazzle employers

While job fairs are a popular way for businesses to attract new employees, students in Columbia County are flipping the script. The Columbia County School District (CCSD) is partnering with Columbia County, the Columbia County Chamber Foundation, and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) for the fourth annual CTAE (Career, Technical and Agricultural Education) Workforce Showcase Competition on Friday, Feb. 16. Brooks Smith, director of the school district’s CTAE programs, told ABD this showcase is also a competition for students to show off to potential employers the skills they are

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B2B Stories

Georgia’s technical colleges to help businesses find temporary, non-citizen, workers

A program that helps employers hire non-U.S. citizens for their businesses is now being coordinated by the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). An announcement on the TCSG website said they will take over managing Georgia’s Foreign Labor Certification Program. The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) had coordinated it. The agreement transfers the program to WorkSource Georgia, which replaced Employ Georgia in August 2023 as the official online tool for employment services. WorkSource Georgia is assuming the responsibility of providing employers with the foreign labor certification services that are required

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B2B Stories

Bigger commitment to boost workforce training

The education and training needed to create a skilled workforce remain a top priority in Georgia. Gov. Brian Kemp (R) recently announced a change to the College & Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI), which is the state’s accountability system for schools. The changes, scheduled to take effect in 2025, are designed to promote high-demand career pathways, those that are aligned with an in-demand industry. “As the No. 1 state in the nation to do business, we have to prepare Georgians for the unprecedented opportunities coming our way, by equipping students

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B2B Stories

Columbia County Chamber touts new workforce development center

The Georgia Chamber of Commerce announced a new center targeting workforce development, and the Columbia County Chamber is ready to tap into it. The Center for Workforce and Talent Preparedness was announced on Jan. 10 at the annual Eggs and Issues breakfast. “This new strategic initiative was created to lead the state through an unprecedented talent transformation,” said Daniela Perry, Vice President of the Georgia Chamber Foundation in a news release announcing the center. “Talent continues to be the number one issue facing our members. The Center for Workforce and

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B2B Stories

Major investment in electric buses and training

Students in the Richmond County School System will benefit from a $1 billion federal investment in clean energy buses, while Goodwill prepares to train the workforce needed to support the electric vehicle industry. In a news release, Senator Raphael Warnock (D-Ga) and Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, Michael Regan said the money is through Warnock’s Clean Commute for Kids Act that was included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The bulk of the money, nearly $60 million, will go toward funding 25 of the buses for RCSS, along with buses for

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