Story by Kelly Simmons
Interest in available jobs at Dot Foods in Vidalia had dropped so low during the pandemic that in June 2021 management resorted to raffling off prizes to employees who brought in new applicants.
“We were bashing our heads against the wall to figure out how we could generate applications,” said Tim Truxel, general manager of Dot Foods. “Overnight our applications shot through the roof.”
That let Truxel know that many people in the rural southeast Georgia community were not aware of the employment opportunities and benefits available. Working with the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government, he and other local business leaders planned a job fair to bring employers and unemployed residents together. Since then, applications to Dot Foods have risen back to pre-pandemic levels, and Vidalia has continued to work with the Vinson Institute to develop and implement a strategy to build a stable workforce, for the long term.
Workforce development is perhaps the most critical issue facing many of Georgia’s communities. Even before the pandemic, businesses across the state were struggling to fill positions, while nearby residents traveled miles from home to get to jobs that matched their skill sets.
Since 2015, when the Vinson Institute launched its Workforce and Economic Analysis unit, faculty and staff there have been working with communities throughout Georgia to identify ways to connect local employers with the local workforce. In some, it’s a matter of letting potential employees know about jobs that are available. In others, the local community has partnered with the public and private sector to train people for available jobs.
In Thomson, Ga., an assessment of area employers showed the need for more welders. With support from the Georgia Power Foundation, the local chamber of commerce, the school district and UGA, Thomson High School added a welding pathway to its career and technical education curricula. Since 2019-20, 29 students have completed the welding pathway and 28 more are on track to complete it during this school year. Seven students enrolled in a post-secondary welding education program, and two already are working in that industry.
“If Georgia’s going to stay strong we’re going to have to make sure we have a trained and ready workforce aligned to employer needs” said Greg Wilson, a faculty member at the Vinson Institute. “Workforce development ensures that business, economic development, education, and business leaders are working together to close talent gaps."
The Vinson Institute got into workforce development by helping the state of Georgia with the 2014 Governor’s High Demand Career Initiative. Since then the University of Georgia has helped dozens of communities and regions address challenges that threatened their economic health and their future.
Among the projects they have undertaken are a healthcare workforce development needs assessment and strategy for southwest Georgia; a guide to replicating high quality experiential learning opportunities for businesses and schools; and workforce needs assessments and strategies for numerous Georgia counties and regions.
Issues have varied from one area of the state to another. A challenge for residents of Cherokee County, northwest of Atlanta, was finding work close to home.
In 2016, 78 percent of employed Cherokee County residents were traveling outside the county for work, some as far away as Clayton or Hall counties. Not only was that a drain on those residents, sacrificing valuable home time to a long commute, but a drain on the county in that it meant there were fewer skilled employees available for Cherokee County jobs.
The Cherokee Office of Economic Development formed the Cherokee Workforce Collaborative and partnered with the Vinson Institute to develop a strategic plan to address workforce shortages. Alongside representatives from industry and education, they began creating a road map to identify workforce needs and strengthen employee recruitment. They focused on four priorities: internships, innovative career preparation, business and education alliances and sustaining momentum.
The synergy of the group proved effective.
“It was sort of obvious that there was a bit of a disconnect between the needs identified by industry in terms of skill sets that were required for their future labor workforce, and the understanding by the school system as to what those skill sets might be,” said Aaron Ingram, chair of the collaborative and president of NeoMed Inc., a medical device company in Woodstock, Ga. “This facilitates a lot better communication and buy-in and understanding of the problems inherent to each one of us.”
A career expo, held in March each year, draws in more than 400 job seekers to learn about opportunities in local businesses and industries.
Carolina Fernandez had been commuting from her home in Woodstock to work in Norcross for 13 years before attending the 2018 career expo. She found a new job managing human resources at Jaipur Living, a rug manufacturer in southwest Cherokee, shaving more than 40 miles off her daily commute.
“After years of driving, I wanted to find a job closer to home,” said Fernandez, who returned to the expo this March as an employer. “I came to the Cherokee Career Expo last year and found my dream job.”
Transportation is an issue in Colquitt County too, where not owning a car can make it hard for employees to get to work, or students to get to the local technical college.
When county and City of Moultrie leaders started hearing about medical treatments being canceled because patients had no way to get to the hospital, and chronic tardiness at National Beef got so bad the company began offering bonuses to employees who made it to work on time, they decided to look into public transportation.
Through the Colquitt County Archway Partnership, a UGA Public Service and Outreach unit, a group of UGA Terry College of Business students launched a study to determine the feasibility of a system and where routes should travel.
A survey of more than 400 residents showed that over 70 percent strongly agreed a bus system would be worth the cost. Current transit—a first-come, first-served limited service that must be scheduled a day in advance—was not meeting the needs of the population. With a third of its population living below the poverty line and half of those who work making $35,000 a year, a ride share was a hard sell.
One resident launched a carpool but when his car broke down, he and his four passengers had to find a new way to get to work.
“Many of us don’t realize how much one dead battery or one bad radiator can blow up opportunities,” said Pete Dillard, Moultrie city manager. “Transit or the lack thereof affects the elderly, potential job prospects and healthcare. It really impacts all facets of life, even grocery opportunities or maintaining a healthy lifestyle.”
The UGA students identified four routes that would be most helpful to residents, with stops in neighborhoods and at assisted living facilities, the Boys & Girls Club, local industry, the airport, the hospital and the YMCA.
“The transportation study revealed what we suspected, that there are those in our community who do not have adequate transportation to get from point A to point B,” said Chip Blalock, chair of the Colquitt County Archway Partnership executive committee and executive director of the Sunbelt Ag Expo. “A mass transit system of some sort would greatly enhance the quality of life for this sector of our residents.”
Credits:
Photos by Shannah Montgomery and Cherokee County Office of Economic Development