The Workforce Development Committee helps prepare Effingham County students for the jobs of the future and connects students to potential employers.
Students at the ECCA also are working in internships at Home Depot and Target, Prosser added. “We’re just in demand,” she said. When prospective employers stop by the ECCA, students are allowed to meet with them and ask questions. “It’s great to see the employers with the students,” Prosser said. “We’re very proud it’s grown.” The effort also entails providing resources for professional development and a sustainable workforce, according to Prosser. “We are happy to be able to do that,” she said. Sharpening the soft skills When industrial prospects visit, the ECCA is showcased and the local school system is touted to them. “That is the No. 1 area a prospective employer looks at first. It’s the education system,” Prosser said. “Ours is ranked in the top 10 in the state. We are considered a large system because we have over 10,000 students. We’re very proud of that ranking and that we have been able to maintain that and the fact we are getting recognition at the 26 • Effingham Living
state level.” There is also an impetus to instill what are called soft skills in current jobseekers and future workers. Those qualities include how to dress for an interview, how to conduct themselves when looking for a job and how to behave once they’re hired. “Many of the human resources managers and directors are supporting us with training on résumé writing and etiquette during a job interview,” Prosser said. “I’m glad to see that happening.” The ECCA also is working with its students on email etiquette. “I shared that with an employer,” Prosser said, “who was very appreciative. They were trying to figure out how to change that behavior in their own organization.” In addition, they are expanding into interview skills and digital skills so jobseekers can complete interviews online. The committee will be scheduling information sessions for citizens wanting to know more about those skills. “We want to know what those workforce obstacles are,” Prosser added. “It is a perfect venue to do that.” The workforce development committee
has worked with the new Georgia Transformer, and several ECCA students are working in its engineering department. “They are interested in how they can expand and how they can grow their workforce,” Prosser said. Prosser said there is great participation in the workforce development committee, and there are representatives from such entities as Georgia Power, Georgia-Pacific, CST Covers, Edwards Interiors, Effingham Health System, the IDA, the Georgia Ports Authority and Savannah Technical College. “We focus on what we can do for improving adult employment,” she said. “All of our stakeholders are coming together. We all have a vision and we can put a strategy in place and take steps to sustain the workforce in the area and to continuously develop it. I’m very excited about what’s happening with all the digital technology. I’m feeling better about the gap between baby boomers and who is going to replace them, simply because technology is helping to close it. That’s what we’re trying to excite the students about.”