(The Center Square) — A new state House subcommittee plans to examine the Georgia workforce’s challenges in recruiting and retaining talent.
The subcommittee, which falls under the purview of the House Higher Education Committee, will explore workforce needs across various industries and ostensibly propose solutions.
According to a news release, the subcommittee will work with higher learning institutions and businesses to “develop more targeted curricula and increase career focused enrollment.” The group will also consider the factors influencing the current labor shortage.
“By 2030, long-term growth in industries, such as logistics, energy, manufacturing, health care and technology, will require our elected leaders to partner with higher learning institutions and the business community to find ways to effectively meet public and private workforce needs,” state Rep. Chuck Martin, R-Alpharetta, said in an announcement.
“We are currently competing with states like Texas, Florida, Kentucky and Oklahoma that have already implemented policies that foster and retain talented and skilled workers,” Martin added. “Georgia’s next decade of economic growth depends on implementing creative, bold and untraditional workforce solutions now.”
Meanwhile, the Georgia Center for Opportunity has joined the Texas Public Policy Foundation and Louisiana’s Pelican Institute for Public Policy to create the Alliance for Opportunity. The group will explore the issue and develop recommendations to reduce the number of people in poverty.
“A subcommittee is a good first step but there aren’t any set deadlines yet for the committee so we will see where it goes,” Corey Burres, vice president of communications for the GCO, told The Center Square.
“The key is to understand that work is the solution to poverty. It helps communities and individuals thrive and find dignity,” Burres added. “As long as the system and policies work to drive that goal home, only good can come out of it.”
By T.A. DeFeo | The Center Square contributor
