Education and Workforce Development Purpose: The Educational System of Ben Hill County strives to produce a qualified work force to support the needs of local business and industries. To do so, collaboration must exist between the Ben Hill County School System, Wiregrass, the Economic Development Authority, and the businesses/industry community. We need to ensure that we can promote a qualified workforce to prospective business/industries. Education and Workforce Development

*Figures taken from Department of Labor, Georgia Labor Market Statistics and QuickFacts Beta of Census Bureau Current Workforce of BHC PopulationBen Hill CountyState of Georgia Population17, million High School Graduates76.9%84.7% Bachelor’s Degree or higher9.8%28.0% Unemployment Rate9.7% (8 th highest in state) 6.0% Numbers of Workers in Labor Force5,4474,083,974 – 4,772,758

Education and Workforce Development Current High School Benchmarks PopulationBen Hill CountyAverage of RESA State of Georgia Graduation Rate %73.4%71.5% Graduation Rate %73.2%72.5% CCRPI % (FHS) 73.67% (County) 68.1%71.8% CCRPI % (FHS) 74.6% (County) 65.3%68.4% CCRPI includes: graduation rates, career pathway completers, industry credentials earned, college-ready students, college-credit earned during high school, student attendance, varied achievement tests

Education and Workforce Development Economic Development Authority (EDA) should communicate needs of current workforce to the Ben Hill County School System (BHCSS) and Wiregrass. Utilize each entities advisory councils Biannual manufacturing meeting/luncheon Continue annual educational summit Strategies Identified

To address societal issues, develop a Workforce Task Force with long- range goals to focus on the following: Collaboration needs to exist with local and state elected officials, Coastal Plain Area Economic Opportunity Authority, Department of Labor, Division of Family and Children Services, mental health, Department of Juvenile Justice, probation/parole, Monitor Enrichment Program, and so forth. Develop dialog with citizens ages of high school non- completers and are unemployed. Develop strategies to get non-completers and unemployed citizens to school to receive training for the workforce of this community. The community needs to continue to proactively work toward being a Certified Literate Community. Develop goals to improve community data such as unemployment rate, low number of high school and college degrees attained, and so forth. Strategies Identified

Education and Workforce Development Explore incentives for additional education for business/industry/community GED tax credit expansion for business/industry Wiregrass Prior Learning Assessment credit Chamber to develop an employee training or employee pool Promote Wiregrass continuing education and contract training Strategies Identified

Education and Workforce Development BHCSS and Wiregrass need to communicate with EDA to ensure awareness of training programs offered at each entity and other career development efforts (such as work ethics training, work- based learning, job shadowing, industry speakers) in order for the EDA to communicate with current business/industry as well as for recruitment of future business/industry. If a need arises for a new training program, BHCSS and Wiregrass will work with the EDA and the community to ensure the need is viable and jobs are available for graduates Strategies Identified

Education and Workforce Development Communities in School will investigate a community-based mentor program to begin in early schooling Strategies Identified

Education and Workforce Development To promote a diverse, well-trained, qualified work force of Ben Hill County Ultimate Goal