Many parents struggle to work while ensuring their children receive proper care. Some parents are forced to quit their jobs because they don’t have access to reliable, affordable childcare, according to Russell Lahodny.
That was one of the issues Lahodny, President and CEO of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, discussed with elected officials in Washington, D.C. during the 2022 DC Fly-In on Sept. 13-15. Lahodny was one of 24 representatives from the Columbia County, Augusta Metro, North Augusta, and Aiken chambers making the annual trip.
Participants met with several elected officials from both Georgia and South Carolina, including Georgia Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham. Lahodny discussed the childcare issue with Ossoff and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s a burden on the working family and a barrier to getting people back into the workforce,” Lahodny said.
The Columbia County Chamber previously held a roundtable with representatives from local childcare centers to learn more about the issues they’re facing.
“Most people in the public think we don’t have enough childcare centers, but when you actually look at the numbers, they can’t hire enough people to meet the child-teacher ratio,” he said. “They’re competing for the workforce, too.”
To develop some ideas for addressing the issue, Lahodny would like to hold another roundtable with those representatives and elected officials. But he admits there’s no easy solution to the problem.
Workforce issues are a concern for not only the Augusta area, but also cities throughout the United States. Lahodny said research from the Columbia County Development Authority found that 210,000 people who are capable of working aren’t part of the CSRA workforce.
He said childcare may be one part of the equation, but local leaders will need to identify other reasons that so many remain unemployed.
Lahodny said some lack the skills required for high-demand jobs, which is an issue Augusta Technical College is working to address by offering short-term, tuition-free programs that prepare students for those jobs.
“The economy is going to be a factor in the long run,” he said.
Chamber representatives also discussed Augusta Tech, Augusta University, and other local higher education institutions, as well as the Savannah River Site, Fort Gordon, and Plant Vogtle, during the DC Fly-In. They talked about SRS, which has a major economic impact on the CSRA, with officials from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Lahodny said while the trip only lasted a couple of days, it gave them the opportunity to discuss important local issues with our elected officials.
“We’re there to support our business community and grow our economy,” he said.
