State turning grads into employees

We’re in the weeks that transition the unofficial move from spring into summer. Colleges have begun their graduation ceremonies with my alma mater the University of Georgia holding commencement ceremonies last Friday. Most of Georgia’s high schools will hold commencement ceremonies in the next couple of weeks. Then students will begin their summer break, save the graduates. The graduates have their entire future to explore “what’s next.”

Those graduating college are entering the best job market in a decade. Unemployment has returned to historical norms and there is evidence that wages in many industries are rising. There is reason for them to begin their new phase of life with optimism.

Those graduating high school have the traditional options ahead of them. Some will continue on to colleges and universities. Others will enter technical programs, with the state of Georgia continuing to expand the number of fields that qualify for the governor’s “High Demand Career Initiative,” with students receiving free tuition for majors where employers are having difficulty finding skilled workers.

The ability to equip students with skills that employers need has received a significant amount of attention over the past few years. Georgia currently spends more than half of all of its tax revenues on education at the K-12 and secondary levels. There is a focus on ensuring that the state is receiving the maximum return on this investment.

Part of this effort is to ensure that graduates at the secondary level have skills ready to work upon completion of their degree. Many employers that have skills gaps are in industries that traditionally have an apprenticeship model to acquire skills.

On Monday, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle announced the creation of the Georgia Association of Advanced Technical Training (GA-CATT). This partnership was made possible under last year’s Senate Bill 2, which allows schools to award a high school diploma for joint enrollment work done while completing an advanced degree.

GA-CATT brings together representatives of Technical College System of Georgia, West Georgia Technical College, the German American Chamber of Commerce, the Coweta County School System, and eight West Georgia employers to pilot an industry partnership between employers, the K-12 school system, and TCSG. The result will be a joint enrollment program that will allow students to graduate with a high school diploma, an Associate’s Degree, and a German Industrial Mechanic Certificate.

Newnan’s Central Education Center, Georgia’s oldest College and Career Academy, will host the program. College and Career Academies have augmented much of Georgia’s K-12 Vocational and Technical education programs after Georgia’s curriculum revamp a decade ago. While most have been successful, the 36 College and Career Academies across the state have not yet achieved the full potential of Georgia high school students graduating with employable technical skills.

Employers and state officials have been seeking ways to match the skills of Georgia’s graduates with the openings available to job applicants. The accessibility of college and societal expectations has perhaps placed more of Georgia’s high school graduates into degree programs that offer few employable skills. The result is what companies that employ skilled graduates refer to as a “lost decade,” when adults in their late 20s often must enter adult re-training programs in order to achieve the skills needed for jobs that are available.

Instead, they will be credited not only with their degree and certificate, but will be credited with “time of service accumulation” with their employer where they receive their training. Should they remain with the same employer after graduation, that’s extended seniority already banked towards promotions and eventual retirement when their peers will still be evaluating a future education and employment track.

There are only winners in this program. Students have documentation of employable skills and are earning competitive wages even before they graduate. Employers expand their pool of skilled workers. And Georgia taxpayers get a higher return on their education investment, turning students into fellow taxpayers significantly sooner than under most existing programs.

This is “what’s next” for Georgia’s education programs. All Georgians stand to greatly benefit.

This story was originally published May 17, 2016 at 4:44 PM with the headline "State turning grads into employees."