Individuals at the forefront of post-secondary education participated in a State of Higher Education summit. It was organized by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education.
Featured speakers included Chancellor Sonny Perdue, University System of Georgia; Commissioner Greg Dozier, Technical College System of Georgia; and Jenna Colvin, President of the Georgia Independent College Association.
(Photo Caption) From left to right: Daniela Perry, Executive Director of the Georgia Chamber Foundation; Commissioner Greg Dozier, Technical College System of Georgia; Jenna Colvin, President of the Georgia Independent College Association; and Chancellor Sonny Perdue, University System of Georgia.
The education leaders highlighted the vital role high education plays in keeping Georgia economically competitive and supporting the workforce pipeline. The summit focused on aligning academic programs with high-demand careers while expanding access and affordability. All with the goal of continuing to attract new business to locate in the Peach State.
“What companies want to know is why they’re here. Where are we going to get the talent to operate these very innovative and technologically advanced companies?” highlighted Perdue. “Most realtors will tell you the educational system is one of the primary, certainly, for people with children, where they relocate.”
The University System of Georgia (USG) reported a record enrollment of more than 382,000 students across 26 institutions with a focus on degree completion and experiential learning.
Perdue said it creates what he called a “virtuous circle.” As the state provided higher education opportunities, more businesses and people relocated, generating more economic activity that can then be invested into improving higher education.
The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) also had a successful year serving more than 592,000 students, awarding 159,000 in four-credit pathways and celebrating 47,496 graduates.
TCSG Commissioner Greg Dozier said it boils down to the vision and mission of the state’s 22 technical colleges.
“Our mission is to make sure the state of Georgia has a globally competitive workforce. We want to make sure every citizen in the state of Georgia has the opportunity for economic prosperity,” he said, adding the system has done that by developing new pathways like GED and high school equivalency programs and unique opportunities resulting in a 92% placement rate.
“We’re looking at Georgia MATCH, making sure every student knows they have an opportunity to truly find one of those high-demand careers. We’ve looked at apprenticeships. We focused on stackable credentials and micro credentials. We’ve looked at articulation and pathways for opportunities for all our students,” he said.
Daniela Perry, Executive Director of the Georgia Chamber Foundation, said businesses are using partnerships with higher education institutions more than ever before. The collaborations range from specific training programs to collaborating on associate and bachelor’s degrees.
“Our program today highlighted the intentional, innovative, and impactful practices being implemented at our public and private colleges and universities to build resilient, confident lifelong learners,” she said. “This work is invaluable to maintaining our competitiveness and securing Georgia as the top state for talent.”
Chris Clark, President and CEO of the Georgia Chamber, opened the summit with hard numbers.
He said the chamber’s 2050 plan anticipates 2.5 million more people will call home within the next 24 years. However, there will be roughly 3.1 million new jobs created in that same timeframe. He said that it will require well-educated and trained employees in health care, advanced manufacturing, robotics, engineering, skills, trade, machine learning, artificial intelligence, cyber, and clean technology.
