Thirty-one rural school districts in Georgia have received grants to help students gain professional certifications and work experience. The funding is part of an initiative by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Center for Talent and Workforce Preparedness and the Georgia Department of Education.
Four Northeast Georgia school districts — Banks, Elbert, Madison, and White — received funding. Other school districts benefiting from the program include Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Burke, Butts, Candler, Chattahoochee, Decatur, Early, Emanuel, Irwin, Lamar, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Marion, Meriwether, Oglethorpe, Pelham City, Pickens, Seminole, Sumter, Tattnall, Turner, Wayne, and Wilkes.
Number one issue
A press release from the Georgia Chamber said its annual executive insights survey revealed that talent remains the number one issue facing the state’s businesses.
“The Georgia Chamber is excited to support these programs that offer students in our rural school districts opportunities to explore and become better prepared for careers across the state,” said Georgia Chamber President and CEO Chris Clark.
State School Superintendent Richard Woods called early exposure to careers and access to industry-recognized training “vital” to ensuring students gain the skills they need to enter the workforce or pursue higher education.
Woods added, “This partnership with the Georgia Chamber Foundation allows Georgia’s rural students to participate in workforce opportunities available in their local communities, equipping them for success in the classroom and beyond.”
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