theWORKFORCEplan

THE WORKFORCE PLAN A collaboration to assess the birth to work pipeline in Thomasville-Thomas County.

Project Goal: Create short-, mid-, and long-term community derived and community aligned plans of action to strengthen the birth-to-work pipeline of Thomasville and Thomas County today and for years to come. www.gpee.org

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The Workforce Plan Project Timeline: Kick off – March 23, 2022 Interviews, Focus Groups and Data Collection – April to November Presentation of findings – January Formation of working groups – Jan/Feb Identification of goals, roles, and strategies – End of March www.gpee.org

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Today’s Roadmap • Understand the Challenges • Context • Local Data • Community Interviews

• Connect Stakeholders

• Form cross sector working groups • Understand timelines and structure for goals

www.gpee.org

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I. The Wider Context www.gpee.org

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The War for Talent 2019-2021 11m Job Openings 6.4m New Jobs Created 3.9m Fewer US Workers 2.3m Female Employees 3m Fewer VISA Holders 90% Left Workforce Over 55 34% Increase in Gig Workers www.gpee.org

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The War for Talent Dec 2022 GA Labor Openings: 347,000 Unemployment Rate: 3.0% Healthcare: 39,000 Manufacturing: 19,000 Retail: 33,000 Hospitality: 20,000 Science & Tech: 27,000 Finance & Insurance: 13,000 Education: 8,000 www.gpee.org

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Talent & Workforce 67% Labor Supply Gap US 159% Labor Supply Gap GA 29th at 62% GA Ranked Labor Participation 3.2M eligible Georgians not working 2022 GA averaged 415K job postings per month 2023 GA has a 230K workforce www.gpee.org shortage

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To reach current workforce demands, 60% of adults need postsecondary credentials.

We need many more students to get to and through college.

We need more adults to participate in the local workforce.

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Where are the cracks in the workforce pipeline? www.gpee.org

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Starting at the Beginning: Early Care Access • 15% of all Georgia residents - (1.5 million people) live in a childcare desert • Infant care in a center averages $8,321 per year, compared to $8,573 for public college tuition There is a major problem with daycare in the United States.

Daycare is too expensive for the average person.

“I realized my paycheck was being eaten up by the cost of daycare, and I told my husband it doesn’t make sense for me to work. I was like, it doesn’t make sense. I’ll just stay home.” ~ Columbus Mother of 2 www.gpee.org

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Cracks in the Pipeline: The Impact of Literacy by 3rd Grade • Children who can’t read are 4x more likely to drop out of high school than proficient readers • Over 70% of inmates in America’s prisons cannot read above a fourth-grade level • 2/3 of students who cannot read proficiently by the 4th grade will end up in jail or on welfare www.gpee.org

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The Great Equalizer

*Source: Governor’s Office of Student Achievement: How Do Students’ 3rd Grade Reading Levels Relate to their ACT/SAT and Chance of Graduat from HS?

2016 HS Graduation Rate by 3rd Grade Reading Proficiency Subgroups

2016 HS Graduation Rate by 3rd Grade Reading Proficiency

88%

86%

78% 61%

Black

74%

Hispanic

57%

Economically Disadvantaged

Does Not Meet

73% 65%

58%

57%

83%

82%

77%

Meets www.gpee.org

English Language Learners Exceeds

63% 53%

Students w/ Disabilities

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Post-Secondary Access Challenges The Missing 57%

100 Georgia 9th Graders Enter High School!

81

Graduate HS 62

Enroll in Higher Education

43

Source: Ga DOE data for 2016-2017 school year; projections by Atlanta Regional Commission

Make it to Their Sophomore Year

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Preparing through Post-Secondary: • High Demand Career Initiative • HOPE Career Grants • Dual Enrollment • CTAE Pathways • AP Classes • Option B programs • Stackable Credentials • Apprenticeships/ Internships

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Current Unemployed Adults

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Current Unemployed Adults • Transportation Barriers • Child and Elder Care Barriers • Housing Barriers • Mental and Physical Health Barriers • Addiction and Substance Use Barriers • Criminal Justice Barriers • Educational Barriers • Community Solutions www.gpee.org

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Current Workforce • Pay rate (and other forms of compensation) drive job choices • Shift and schedule flexibility have always been important in the past, they have now become one of the top three factors in a worker’s decision about the job they choose and whether they stay

There is a culture shift underway in workers’ needs and expectations Source: Blue-Collar Worker 2022 survey

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II. You Are Here

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Median Household Income Chart Title $70,000 $60,000

$61,224 $48,047

$50,000

$47,133 $39,404

$40,000

$37,516

$36,799

Brooks

Colquitt

$30,000 $20,000 $10,000 $0

Georgia

Grady

Thomas

www.gpee.org

Mitchell

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Household Income Distribution in Thomas County 35.0

31.5 28.0

Percent of Households

30.0

25.0

19.9

20.0

17.3

15.0

10.0

3.3

5.0

0.0

Under $30,000

$30,000 - $59,000 $60,000 - $99,000

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$100,000$199,000

$200,000 and more

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Living Wages in Thomas County $50.00 $45.71

$45.00 $40.00 $35.55

$35.00

$35.08 $29.61

$29.18

$30.00

$37.57

$24.20

$25.00

$23.34 $20.58

$20.00 $15.00

$16.32

$15.74 $12.10

$10.00 $5.00 $0.00

1 Adult

2 Adults, 1 Working No Children

1 Child

2 Children

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2 Adults, Both Working 3 Children 23

Percentage of Residents 16+ in Civilian Labor Force Chart Title

70 60

63

61

59

57

50

54

52

40 30 20 10 0

Change in Georgia +1.6% employment:

Thomas

+1.8%

Colquitt

+2.2%

Grady

-2.0%

www.gpee.org

Brooks

-2.0%

Mitchell

+4.8% 24

2021 Educational Attainment in Thomas County 35% 30%

31%

31%

25%

24%

20% 15% 10%

14%

5% 0%

Less than High School

High School or GED

Some College or Associates Degree

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Bachelors Degree or Higher

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It’s a Diverse Student Body: Local Public K-12 Students, 2022-2023 3% 1%

Asian Black 43% 48%

Hispanic White

6%

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Multiracial

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3rd Grade Literacy Rates by School, 2021-22 100% 90% 80%

10.1

13.6

29.2

19.9

23.1 25

70% 60%

25.5

36.8

50% 40%

73.1

30% 20%

59.1 44.6

31.1

10% 0%

1.9 1.9

2.3

2.8

Cross Creek

Jerger Beginning

Scott

Developing

Proficient

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Harper

Distinguished 27

County Context • 3rd Grade ELA proficient (or above) • Births to mothers who did not complete HS • Population over 25 with less than a HS diploma • Population under 18 in poverty

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Total Early Learning Slots: Quality Rated

Not Quality Rated

Total

Child Care Learning Centers

993

286

1279

Family Child Care Learning Centers

12

42

54

Total

1005

328

1333

Total Population under 5

2750

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Frequent Mental Distress Percentage of adults reporting 14 or more days of poor mental health per month (age-adjusted).

25 20 15

19

19

19

Brooks

Colquitt

Grady

20 18

15

10 5 0

Georgia

Mitchell

Thomas

The 2022 County Health Rankings used data from 2019 for this measure. www.gpee.org

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Mental Health Challenges: 6-12 graders

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Mental Health Resiliency: 6-12 graders

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“The goal is to turn data into information and information into insight.”

– Carly Fiorina

“Maybe stories are just data with a soul.”

– Brene Brown www.gpee.org

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Intermission: In ONE WORD, what is the biggest strength of this community?

Text

THEGEORGIAPA7 31 to 22333 to join

III. In Your Own Words www.gpee.org

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Workforce Challenges “There is not a job class where we don’t have an opening.”

“This is getting close to a breaking point.”

“I know a lot of women with a Bachelors or Master’s who stay home.”

“Everyone who is seeking work has work.” www.gpee.org

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Workforce Challenges Challenges

• Transportation • Child Care • Housing • New generation of workers • Burn out and Social Challenges • People don’t know the jobs

Strengths

• So many great programs • Connections between high schools, SRTC, industry • CTAE, Dual Enrollment, WBL • The hospital has a blueprint • Shared challenges, shared goals 37 www.gpee.org

A Changing Workforce “People are retiring – who is going to fill those jobs? Who has those skills?”

“Seems like some people will leave a job pretty easily.”

“If a job seeker can’t see themselves in your work, they will not come there. And they have options.”

www.gpee.org

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“YouTubing is a profession, and esports will send you to college.”

“Maybe we need to take marijuana off the list, so long as you show up to work sober. I’ve lost good people.”

“There isn’t a workplace culture to support supportive parents, build loyalty, take care of their own.” www.gpee.org

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A Changing Workforce Challenges

Strengths

• Soft Skills • Flexibility • Connecting with supports • Competition rather than collaboration • Change is hard

• The challenge is everywhere • There are resources/ programs

www.gpee.org

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A Changing Community?

“A lot of people live here who love it,ways who want to “There are to grow do whatever they the can to without losing help it, to keep the good identity of a place” while making the changes required to thrive” as a community. www.gpee.org

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A Fertile Soil for Seeds and Starts

• Youth and Young Adults: Grow, Attract, Retain • Race Relations: Continue to Build Trust • Social Disconnection • Economic Gaps www.gpee.org

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Youth and Young Adults: Grow, Attract, Retain

“Young people leave and they don’t come back.”

“I would like my kids to stay if I thought there was anything for them.”

“What’s the incentive, for people my age?”

“There are very few of us here that aren’t from here.” www.gpee.org

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Race Relations: Continue to Build Trust “There are parts of the community that have not been served.”

“I don’t talk to my boys about them staying here.

I don’t see a future for them- can they be fulfilled in Thomasville?”

“I don’t want to be the face they use to betray my people.”

“Work is being done in good faith.” www.gpee.org

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Race Relations: Continue to Build Trust “There is no evil cabal, the problems are inadvertent, become systemic. But people can only see what they can see.”

“I want to be a change agent, but I don’t want to be a martyr.”

“Folks with the willingness to make changes are THERE.”

www.gpee.org

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Social Disconnections “Thomasville is very ‘I have to know you to get in.’”

“I was 2 miles from downtown and my route didn’t drive through downtown, so for 2 years I never knew what was happening downtown, and they didn’t know anything about me or what we do.”

“If you need something, all you have to do is text.”

“The community is here, it’s just invisible.”

www.gpee.org

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Economic Gaps “There is a lack of a middle class here.”

“Big, grown gap between the haves and the have-nots.”

“There are great opportunities in arts, sports, all that…if you can pay for it.” www.gpee.org

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A Fertile Soil for Seeds and Starts Challenges

Strengths

• Disconnected Communities • Resistance to Cultural Changes • History

• History and Heritage • Relationship Rich Community • Momentum • Art, Culture, Downtown, Faith Community, Community Events www.gpee.org

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The Social Fabric of Small Town Georgia “Best thing about Thomasville is its potential for relationship building.

Such potential for so many voices coming to the table.”

“Thomas County is not as polarized as the average SWGA county, it does a pretty good job of integrating the polarities and having peace on earth.”

“An island of civility.” www.gpee.org

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The Social Fabric of Small Town Georgia “If there was an identified direction to fight some of these challenges, there are resources to do it. “ “A nonprofit-rich community.”

“We’re a rich enough community to support” social, educational, leadership, and workforce supports.

“The issue is alignment, and partnership.” www.gpee.org

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The Social Fabric of Small Town Georgia “There are a lot of great resources in the area, and a lot of people working towards shared goals, but… we’re all in siloes and sometimes in competition where there could be the opportunity to partner.” www.gpee.org

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Building Connections Challenges

• Disconnect between school districts • Disconnect between County and City • Significant income gaps • Racial division • Hard for newcomers

Strengths • Shared Goals • Non-Profit Rich Community • Clarified Needs • Strong Educational • Philanthropic Community Pathways/ • Faith Community Partnerships • Willingness to • Strong Social Fabric Partner • “Don’t forget the • Business Community Grandmothers” • SRTC www.gpee.org

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“But people don’t know”

The Missing Ingredient is Communication, Connection, and Partnership www.gpee.org

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IV. Next Steps www.gpee.org

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Don’t Go It Alone “If you want all these things, good education, good training, parent involvement, etc., then you have to build a system that supports all those things.

We need to get the system moving in the right direction fast enough for what is coming down the pike.” www.gpee.org

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Aligning Strategies for Collective Impact Random Acts of Improvement

GOALS

Partially Aligned Acts of Improvement

GOALS

Aligned Acts of Improvement

GOALS

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The Workforce Plan

www.gpee.org

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“Pinch Point” Working Groups • Early Care and Learning • Literacy by 3rd Grade • Pipelines to Post-Secondary Study • Worker Barriers • Communication and Relationship Building

www.gpee.org

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What’s the Plan?

• Join a working team • 2-month timeline • Review Relevant Data • Set Community Goals, and Strategies, and Next Steps www.gpee.org

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“Don’t Forget the Grandmothers” • Shared challenges means shared solutions • Think creatively • Tap the resources of a vibrant, loving, committed, generous community • Call your pastor www.gpee.org

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Where do you fit?

What is your interest?

What is your need?

www.gpee.org

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Working Group Sign Up: • Early Care and Learning • Literacy by 3rd Grade • Pipelines to Post-Secondary Study • Worker Barriers • Communication and Relationship Building