BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (WTXL) — Something big is happening in Decatur County. The chamber, school district, and local industries are working together to build a stronger workforce.
Six hundred new jobs are coming to Bainbridge in the next two years. Therefore, the goal is to get students the skills and knowledge they need to land solid money-making careers right at home.
President of the Bainbridge-Decatur County Chamber of Commerce, Lauren Minor, said: "we're not just giving them an education, we're giving them a life, we're helping them fulfill their goals."
Roy Mathews, Principal of Bainbridge High School, added, "now being able to match the skills with the job placement is going to be huge for us for the kids knowing that there's an opportunity out there for a construction worker, someone to build trusses, someone to work a CNC machine at Taurus, or someone to weld."
The county put together an Industry Immersion Tour so educators can learn from the industry directly.
Going forward, teachers can tailor their curriculum to in-demand jobs. This is step one in a workforce development group, which will bring businesses right into schools, giving industry the ability to show kids job-specific skills, resume-building, and how to ace an interview.
All of this is intended to give students a shot at success. Assistant Superintendent of Decatur County Schools,
Dr. April Aldridge, said "they're the ones that get the benefit of a job that leads them to a career possible advancement, tuition reimbursement, full-time jobs with benefits, paid leave, sick leave, retirement, those are great opportunities for our students."
