The Governor’s Office of Workforce Development and the Georgia Department of Labor help businesses find trained employees as well as assist individuals who are looking to become employed. These agencies use a combination of federal and state funds to accomplish these missions.
Last week, this column looked at what the state is doing to encourage young people to go into training for the trades. Also examined was a program, Operation: Workforce, which assists veterans in becoming trained and employed. Part II examines additional services provided statewide.
RESPECT
The Governor’s Office of Workforce Development is also currently partnering with the Department of Juvenile Justice to offer young offenders a fresh start through the RESPECT program, which stands for Re-entry Skills Preparation and Education Career Training. After juveniles leave secure facilities, they often lack the soft skills needed to find employment and become productive members of society.
The RESPECT program focuses on soft skills such as workplace etiquette, resume building, and interview preparation. By augmenting the rehabilitative therapies that youth receive under DJJ’s care, the program aims to further reduce recidivism rates.
One Stop Customer Service Centers and Career Centers
In addition to the programs that provide services to a specific population, Georgia also provides broad employment assistance with the One Stop customer service centers and career centers. One Stop customer service centers are the vehicles for delivering the services required by the Workforce Investment Act.
In fiscal year 2012, approximately 600,000 Georgians were served at career centers. Throughout the state, there are a total of 46 full-service One Stop centers and 47 DOL career centers serving all areas of the state both rural and urban. In addition to the full-service One-Stop centers, there are numerous satellites in many workforce investment areas at technical schools, municipal centers, local Division of Family and Children Services offices and local workforce development entities.
Services are offered at no cost to employers and job seekers and can include but are not limited to:
• Labor market information including area labor profiles and information about occupations/wages
• Job expositions
• Assistance with agricultural worker recruitment
• Assistance with state employment laws and information
• Access to job openings (Georgia, the Southeast and the nation)
• Resume development assistance
• Employment counseling
• Workshops on a variety of employment-related topics, including effective job search, interviewing, resume development, coping with job loss and financial management
Funding
The Governor’s Office of Workforce Development is funded solely through federal funds divided into three separate groups: adult, youth, and dislocated workers. In the FY14 general budget, the total appropriation for workforce development was approximately $73.4 million. In addition to these federal funds, workforce development will receive an additional $717,658 in federal incentive grants to be utilized in FY14. In order to receive these incentive grants, states are required to meet federal performance measure targets. Georgia is one of only 15 states slated to receive these additional funds for its efforts in adult literacy, job training, and degree attainment.
In addition to Workforce Office funding, the Department of Labor is also appropriated funds for Workforce Solutions, which include the aforementioned career centers. In FY14, the Workforce Solutions program is slated to receive approximately $46.2 million, which breaks down into $6.7 million state general funds and $39.6 million in federal funds.
Outlook
In 2013, Georgia was ranked by CNBC as the eighth-best state in which to do business based on 51 different rankings. Georgia’s best ranking was its workforce, which was number one in the nation.
In order to achieve this ranking, Georgia provides an array of programs aimed at assisting individuals with securing employment and helping employers hire the skilled workers they need to be successful. These programs are dynamic, and serve a wide range of individuals from youth, to veterans, to dislocated workers. As these programs continue to evolve with the needs of the economy, Georgia will continue to invest in its workforce and ensure that Georgia remains one of the best states to do business.
For more information on the programs, please visit the following websites:
GOWD: http://workforce.georgia.gov/
Go Build Georgia: http://www.gobuildgeorgia.com/
Operation:Workforce: http://www.operationworkforce.com/
DOL: http://www.dol.state.ga.us/
I may be reached at
234 State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334
(404) 656-5038 (phone)
(404) 657-7094 (fax)
E-mail at Jack.Hill@senate.ga.gov
Or call toll-free at
1-800-367-3334 day or night
Reidsville office: (912) 557-3811
