Experts at the University of Georgia’s Vinson Institute of Government have partnered with Georgia Power to provide communities across the state with a comprehensive and accessible resource to address the growth opportunities provided by new industries. In fiscal year 2022, Georgia’s economy gained 51,138 jobs and $21.2 billion in investment, according to state data.
With new industries flocking to Georgia in record numbers, communities need workforce and economic development resources now more than ever. The newly updated Workforce Planning Guide employs a data-driven process that is designed to be led by the community members and focused on finding attainable solutions.
“For communities seeking ways to address workforce demands, we hope this guide just might be the ‘secret sauce’ that allows them to identify existing opportunities and plan for future growth,” said Greg Wilson, institute faculty and workforce expert.
Wilson and others from the UGA Institute of Government worked closely with Joseph Lillyblad, education and workforce development director at Georgia Power, to design a guide that would bring together community leaders and major employers. Georgia Power also sponsored the guide’s development.
For communities all over Georgia, the Workforce Planning Guide offers a roadmap for those charged with reinvigorating their local economies.
“Georgia had a banner year in economic development,” Lillyblad said. “Today, it isn’t just about selling Georgia. It’s about looking at things holistically and knowing what’s happening on the ground.”
Work in Vidalia-Toombs County shows the impact the guide can have in communities.
In 2021, while trying to recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials from Vidalia-Toombs County began working with the UGA Institute of Government on workforce development issues. With the updated guide in development, Vidalia-Toombs County tested its content and planning…
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