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Baldwin Bulletin/Graphic
The School of Continuing and Professional Studies at Georgia College and the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce is looking for employers to partner with for a new Workforce Readiness Program.
The program will connect businesses with high school seniors who want to stay in Milledgeville and find local employment. Baldwin County schools have committed to helping connect students with employers and The School of Continuing and Professional Studies will conduct a workforce readiness training before their start of employment.
“We are seeking a partnership with employers to build a workforce pipeline,” said Angela Criscoe, executive director of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies. “The program will prepare students for employment after graduation and assist in filling job vacancies in the community.”
The program is currently set to begin June 3 and will run through July 26, depending on participation. Employers are asked to commit to a four-week minimum commitment, pay students per hour, and mentor for 30 hours a week.
“We understand this is a big commitment for employers to make and that is why the schools and Georgia College will be offering workforce etiquette training using the Georgia's Best Workforce curriculum,' said Criscoe. “The program will begin with connections made at the career fair on April 9.”
Employers who commit to the program will be required to attend a career fair on April 9 to meet with students selected by school counselors for the program. Based on connections made at the fair, employers will submit their top choices for students best applicable to the position they need to be filled. A committee will work to match employer requests to student requests.
“If an employer has a position that they can train someone through an internship, this is an opportunity to determine if they have the right match,” said Criscoe. “Our overall goal is to connect employers with potential employees and train students with skills and experience for future jobs.”
Following this selection process, students will undergo one week of classroom experience to learn about work etiquette, essential work skills, customer service, and more to prepare them for the on-site job.
“The training comes from Georgia’s BEST curriculum, which is a state curriculum for workforce etiquette,” said Criscoe. “There are a lot of businesses in Milledgeville struggling to find quality talent and with the expertise we have at Georgia College and our ability to extend resources to support our business partners this is a great opportunity to collaborate.'
For more information, contact the President of the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce Kara Lassiter at 478-453-9311 or klassiter@milledgevillega. com or Criscoe at 478-4452759 or angela.criscoe@gcsu.edu.