THOMAS COUNTY, Ga. (WTXL) — "We want to hear the success stories that 'I got a job last week and I've already been promoted,'" Chandler Hurst is the Talent and Business Coordinator with New Hire Solutions in Thomasville.
Hurst said it's hard to find dependable workers that want to stick with their jobs, whether it be an issue of commitment due to pandemic uncertainty or competition from higher-paying jobs.
Right now, the staffing agency has 150 openings across the 300 businesses in South Georgia. As they look to fill positions, they're also looking at how to keep people on the job. Marketing Assistant, Hailey Marston, said it'll take both the company and employee holding up their end of the deal.
She said, "if people can be shown that if they can stick it out they're going to see the growth they're going to see movement within the company and opportunities I think that would get them more likely to stay."
New Hire Solutions said it's important for students to figure out what they like first which will cut down on high turnover.
Southern Regional Technical College is working to help with that part, getting students hands-on experience while pursuing their two-year degrees. Students can even get a technical certification while attending high school.
Director of Career Services and Counseling, Dr. Jeanie Long, said this will help them learn what's a good fit for them ahead of time, so they can meet the local demand in the community. She said, "most employers want somebody to come in ready to work they're not as interested in getting somebody that they have to train to do the job there's always a learning curve but if you know the information then you're just learning how that industry does it."
Southern Regional Technical College has the highest in-field job placement rate of all the technical schools in Georgia, coming in at over 99 percent. This means that students are going right to work in their fields of study with the skills they need. Dr. Long added, "we are training our students and educating our students to do those jobs that are most needed and most essential in our communities, everything from healthcare to construction to professional services."
New Hire Solutions said that medical jobs have been the hardest to fill. Transportation comes in second followed by jobs in the service industry.
