Malynda Fulton
VALDOSTA — The Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority explored a workforce development initiative during its meeting Tuesday.
Authority Chairman Gary Minchew pitched the idea of marketing a current plan that Valdosta Technical College has devised to better prepare the labor force for certain jobs. The initiative, which is headed by Authority member Norman Bennett, also strives to help more regions gain and retain Work Ready certification.
Through the initiative, potential employees must complete training, called gap training, and then pass a career readiness assessment offered by WorkKeys, Bennett said. Once they pass the assessment, potential employees receive bronze, silver, gold or platinum certificates based on their job qualifications and test scores. Preparation materials are offered online.
Minchew said that this would be especially beneficial for the Authority when prospects ask about the area’s labor pool.
Authority member Roy Copeland questioned how information on the workforce training will be made available to the “average person on the street.”
Valdosta City Council members Deidra White and James Wright commended the program, but said there is still a missing link between such programs and the people in the community who may not have access to a computer to study for the assessment, or do not have transportation to visit computer labs.
Lindsey Mobley of Creekside Tavern added that most of the people the program strives to reach have technical skills, and “may experience a phobia when assessments are thrown at them.”
Minchew said that several options can be explored to address these concerns. He mentioned the possibility of “some type of building at the Miller tract that will offer the residents on the south side of town access to computers.”
Minchew and Bennett emphasized that something has to be done to prepare people who cannot find jobs because they are not qualified.
“The reality is that there are high school dropouts who can still do some kind of job,” Minchew said. “They just need to be told what they need to do to get the job.”
In other business, the Authority is working with an existing industry that is considering an expansion that will create 300 new jobs. The company is still in the early stages of planning.
