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education
KSU, EDGE partner for job growth BY JON GILLOOLY Whether it’s starting a business from scratch or expanding existing ones, Kennesaw State University and Cobb’s Competitive EDGE are partnering to help entrepreneurs grow jobs in the county. “What we really want to do is leverage what we already do and get it out to more people,” said Dr. Ken Harmon, Kennesaw State’s provost and academic affairs vice president. Take, for example, a Marietta resident who wants to copy his uncle’s successful Arkansas business here, said David Connell, CEO of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce. “Questions that Mariettans
may have are, ‘How do I get started? Where do I go? Who do I call?’” Connell said. “There’s a lot of different sources of advice and counsel that doesn’t cost people a dime or a very minimum cost, and what we want to do is put an umbrella around that, so if they get a call or we get a call we direct people to the right avenue to go.” One such avenue is KSU’s Small Ken Harmon Business Development Center, which helps entrepreneurs grow their business by providing free consulting and offering a
variety of low-cost educational programs. Another, housed at the Cobb Chamber, is SCORE, a nonprofit that brings in working and retired executives and business owners who donate their time as business counselors, providing confidential counseling and mentoring. EDGE, which stands for Economic Development David Connell for a Growing Economy, is county Chairman Tim Lee’s signature economic development initiative. By the end of a five-
year term, EDGE is expected to have created 7,500 new jobs, increased payroll earnings and income by $420 million and $7,000 per capita in Cobb, reduced unemployment to 5.5 percent, increased the public school graduation rate by 4 percent and increased the number of college-bound students in Cobb by 7 percent. Connell said inquiries from new and Brooks Mathis veteran entrepreneurs should be directed to EDGE Executive Director Brooks Mathis at (770) 859-2358.
GRACEPOINT School Serving students with dyslexia in a quality Christian environment
We offer a comprehensive, high quality education program that combines remediation with enrichment and acceleration. Interested in teaching or working as a paraprofessional? Applications are available on on the school website.
Tours available upon request
Contact GRACEPOINT at 678-815-5344
2005 Stilesboro Road | Kennesaw, GA 30152 678-815-5344 | www.gracepointschool.org 122
2013/14 COBB FACTBOOK