Creating a Skilled Workforce Pipeline

It’s hard to remember the economic conditions in Georgia when Nathan Deal became governor in 2011. But Deal certainly does.

“We were still in the midst of the Great Recession,” he says. “We had a 10.4% unemployment rate. It was a signal that we needed to do something different.”

Deal recognized that there was a mismatch between the jobs available and potential workers who lacked the training to fill them. The governor and his economic development team convened relevant partners – including economic developers, government officials and leaders in education and private-sector industries, especially those identified as high-demand career pathways – to give their input on workforce concerns. They got an earful.