Increasing Preparedness in Rural Georgia’s Future Generations
Insights and actionable solutions from implementing the Rural Workforce Preparedness Grant
TO OUR VALUED READERS
"K-12 schools are on the front lines of building our future workforce. Educating students on career opportunities in their communities and equipping them with the necessary skills for career progression enables effective workforce pipelines across the state. The Georgia Department of Education was proud to partner with the Georgia Chamber Foundation on this initiative and is grateful for the Foundation's commitment to rural Georgia, and its students."
Dr. Bronwyn Ragan-Martin Deputy
Superintendent
for Rural Education and Innovation
In 2024, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Foundation partnered with the Georgia Department of Education’s Office of Rural Education and Innovation (REI) as well as the Department’s Office of Career, Technical, and Agriculture Education, awarding grants to 64 rural school districts to meet the workforce preparedness needs in their communities.
Programs were funded that addressed one of the three areas:
• Strengthen alignment with business and industry needs.
• Expand awareness of post-secondary and high-demand career opportunities.
• Expand entrepreneurial and work-based learning opportunities for rural students.
Addressing workforce preparedness in our K-12 schools is integral to ensuring future generations are able to confidently enter the workforce and evolve throughout their professional careers. The Georgia Chamber Foundation is proud to bolster the work of innovative education leaders across rural Georgia by enabling these programs for schools that have partnered with their local industries and chambers of commerce.
This report provides highlights of the initiatives that were enabled by this funding, as well as actionable next steps for individuals wanting to replicate these solutions in their communities. Partnership remains a critical step in meeting our current and long-term workforce needs and the Georgia Chamber Foundation’s Center for Talent and Workforce Preparedness is proud to have supported many successful local partnerships that put Georgia students on a path to financial and career success.
Daniela Perry
Executive
Director,
Georgia Chamber Foundation www.gachamber.com/foundation
Business & Industry Partners Impacted
17,000+
Students Supported
Counties Impacted by the Grant:
Appling County
Banks County
Ben Hill County
Berrien County
Brantley County
Burke County
Butts County
Candler County
Chattahoochee County
Chattooga County
Clinch County
Cook County
Crawford County
Crisp County
Dade County
Decatur County
Dooly County
Early County
Elbert County
Emanuel County
Evans County
Franklin County
Grady County
Haralson County
Hart County
Heard County
Irwin County
Jeff Davis County
Johnson County
Jones County
Lamar County
Lanier County
Lee County
Lincoln County
Macon County
Madison County
Marion County
McDuffie County
McIntosh County
Meriwether County
Miller County
Mitchell County
Oglethorpe County
Peach County
700+
Teachers & Faculty Engaged
Pickens County
Pike County
Quitman County
Randolph County
Seminole County
Stephens County
Stewart County
Sumter County
Tattnall County
Taylor County
Toombs County
Turner County
Twiggs County
Grant Funded Projects:
• Be Pro Be Proud mobile unit visits
• Georgia FLEX and Flexcellerator
• Teacher and staff externships
• Industry certifications for students
• Skills bootcamps
• Investments in healthcare and manufacturing programs & pathways
FEEDBACK FROM OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT PARTNERS
The Georgia Chamber Foundation’s Center for Workforce and Talent Preparedness and Center for Rural Prosperity were excited to partner with 64 rural school districts in every corner of Georgia. Obtaining feedback from local school district partners was a top priority to fully understand the impact of each grant and critical drivers of success.
We realized just how little many of our teachers knew about the workforce needs in our community. Teachers rarely get an opportunity to see first-hand the jobs that are in our local area and the wide variety of skills that are needed in these careers. Our local business partners were so excited to get an opportunity to work with our teachers and help them make connections between school and their industry.
A major takeaway is the overwhelming enthusiasm and sense of possibility this opportunity has ignited among our students, our school, and our community. This program is not only equipping students with the skills needed for a successful career but is also inspiring a sense of purpose and hope, making a lasting impact on their futures.
The grant has underscored the importance of building strong relationships with business and industry. It’s crucial to include all stakeholders—educators, community members, and industry leaders—in the process of preparing students for their futures. This experience has shown us that it’s not just the responsibility of Career, Technical, Agricultural Education (CTAE) teachers but a collective effort to provide students with meaningful exposure to the real world. We are deeply appreciative of this grant and the doors it has opened for our students, setting them on a path to success while strengthening our ties with the broader community.
White County Teacher
Twiggs County Teacher
Twiggs County Schools
Lamar County Schools
Haralson County Schools
Baconton Community Charter School
Baconton Community Charter School Teacher
MEASURING PROGRAM IMPACT
Implementing workforce preparedness programs is a vital first step, and it is equally important to measure the impact on the students, teachers, and industry partners involved. The Georgia Chamber Foundation is happy to share there was near-unanimous approval of the programs funded by these grants.
93% 96% 93% 75%
of students report being very satisfied with their experience in the program.
of teachers and faculty report being very satisfied with the opportunity provided by the program.
of business and industry participants were very satisfied after participating in the program.
of school district participants reported that the projects increased workforce preparedness.
The overwhelmingly positive feedback about program success translates to success for those students, teachers, and industry partners currently involved, while building a strong foundation for future workforce preparedness efforts. Partnership remains a critical step in meeting our current and long-term workforce needs and the Georgia Chamber Foundation’s Center for Talent and Workforce Preparedness is proud to have supported many successful local partnerships that put Georgia students on a path to financial success and to better serve Georgia students.
Maximizing Local Impact through our Statewide Partnership
Many local school districts chose to utilize two affiliate partners, Be Pro Be Proud, and Georgia Foundational Leadership and Entrepreneurship Experience (FLEX) to implement their workforce preparedness initiatives. Both of these organizations operate by implementing local solutions that are replicated across the state due to their strong model. Through the support of the Truist Charitable Fund, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Foundation has augmented the efforts of our partners Be Pro Be Proud and Georgia FLEX. The Foundation supported the expansion of FLEX to three rural communities as well as twelve days of Be Pro Be Proud visits in rural communities.
Through increased access to these workforce preparedness programs, barriers to educational access and employment opportunities will be mitigated, resulting in a more prosperous rural Georgia.
*The Truist Charitable Fund is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. A donoradvised fund administered by The Winston-Salem Foundation, Truist Charitable Fund invests in local community organizations, focusing on grants that support initiatives and programs in the areas of educational equity, leadership development and essential community services.
FLEX
The Georgia Foundational Leadership and Entrepreneurship Experience (FLEX), an affiliate of the Georgia Chamber, focuses on creating prosperity and revitalizing rural entrepreneurial ecosystems through the education of students in establishing small businesses. FLEX was created through a collaboration among the Fitzgerald High School College and Career Academy, Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Chamber of Commerce and the Fitzgerald and Ben Hill County Development Authority to foster the entrepreneurial spirit within the next generation.
Be Pro Be Proud
Be Pro Be Proud, another partner of the Georgia Chamber, is a technical career fair on wheels that showcases to students and young adults what technical professions they can pursue after high school. The truck will provide simulations to these careers, and the professions on board will connect them to post-secondary opportunities.
GEORGIA CHAMBER FOUNDATION INITIATIVES
The Georgia Chamber Foundation is proud to champion rural Georgia and solutions to further grow its long-term talent base through the work of our Center for Rural Prosperity and our Center for Workforce and Talent Preparedness.
Center for Rural Prosperity Center for Workforce and Talent Preparedness
The Georgia Chamber’s Tifton office serves as a hub for rural prosperity with the mission of working alongside our South Georgia partners to improve economic mobility and the long-term economic prosperity of our state’s rural communities. The Georgia Chamber has committed to promote successful and thriving rural communities in Georgia through policy initiatives, as well as the Rural Prosperity Council.
A 501c3, the Center for Workforce & Talent Preparedness is dedicated to serving and leading Georgia businesses and partners to attract, develop, connect, and retain the talent needed to drive a highly skilled workforce with a strong work ethic. The Center is designed to better leverage the Chamber’s statewide network, partnerships, and capacity to directly help employers, educators, and community partners across Georgia build effective talent pipelines, and provide real-world experience and entrepreneurship training for the next generation.
TAKEAWAYS TO IMPLEMENT IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Programs like these are a significant investment of time and resources from education and business partners. Below is a list of best practices and takeaways for your community to consider when implementing a similar program.
Analyze Program Needs
Allowing school districts the flexibility to tailor the implementation of workforce preparedness programs ensures the unique workforce needs of individual communities are met.
• Draft potential programs that would bolster current initiatives and address any present gaps in workforce preparedness efforts. These ideas can be shared with local industry partners, non-profits, and others to find funding solutions to implement programs.
Align Programs with Employment Needs
The cooperation between school districts and local business leaders allowed educators to ensure that educational experiences match employment opportunities in their districts with clear career pathways to those careers, while fostering a sense of community in these areas.
• Programs implemented in the school system should align with local employment opportunities. Relevancy is critical to create engaging opportunities for students and establishes instant career paths for students in their home communities.
Engage With Employers
Business leaders recognize that educating and credentialing local students with in-demand job skills for their company reduces operating costs and increased opportunity for the students.
• District leaders should engage with employers and industry partners to assess the credentials that will best support students’ potential career options and meet the needs of employers.
Create Engagement Opportunities
Business leaders and employees took a great sense of pride in being able to interact with students, educate them on their business, and inspire students to consider what their own professional career will look like at such a young age.
• Create more opportunities for your employees to engage directly with students, especially those employees that have personal connection to the school system or identify with students. This is a great chance to develop advancement opportunities for younger staff.
Empower School Faculty
Teachers and faculty may not have a full understanding of what career opportunities exist locally as well as the advancement opportunities that are available, allowing individuals to continue to grow professionally.
• Prioritize consistent and meaningful opportunities for teachers, counselors, and faculty to engage directly with employers. These staff individuals should have multiple points of engagement with industry partners to understand the work environment, skills needed, and long-term advancement opportunities at local companies.
CONCLUSION
Looking to the future, more jobs will require skilled training, including higher levels of skills. Industries are evolving quickly, and new jobs and careers are being created every day.
It is incumbent upon business, education, and community leaders to assist the next generation of talent to build the durable skills necessary in their lifetime career paths. Increased workforce preparedness programs like these efforts and initiatives funded by the grants awarded by the Georgia Chamber Foundation are essential to build a Georgia workforce ready for the opportunities of tomorrow.
Questions About the Rural Workforce Preparedness Grant:
Daniela Perry
Executive Director, Georgia Chamber Foundation dperry@gachamber.com
www.gachamber.com/foundation/