THOMASVILLE — Educators and businesses came together to create a roadmap for workforce initiatives in our area at the first annual School to Business Summit at the Thomasville-Thomas County Chamber of Commerce last week. In response to urgent pleas for workforce solutions from business owners, Imagine Thomasville, in partnership with Thomasville National Bank, hosted the summit to craft workable solutions.

Businesses in attendance included representatives from the City of Thomasville, small business owners and local industries while educators were present from both the city and county as well as Southern Regional Technical College.

“The global trends we discussed will have a profound impact on tomorrow’s workforce. I think the importance of business-connected experiential education became clear to everyone in the room,” said Andrea Collins, executive director of the Chamber.

On day one, Imagine Thomasville team members shared local and statewide workforce trends, while gathering participant input about our community’s most pressing needs, current and future workforce initiatives. On day two, the educators created a roadmap of responsibilities for all stakeholders, including students, schools, businesses, and parents. 

Taking hints from the Georgia Chamber’s Rural Recommendations, summit participants outlined three priorities to create a more engaged and viable workforce. 

• To improve community perception of skilled trades and direct-to-career options after high school through new and existing campaigns, such as Go Pro, Go Proud Georgia and video testimonials of local skilled tradesmen and women. 

• To strengthen the pipeline of youth into Project Purpose through middle and early high school programming, including a middle school summer program, career days, and vocational school visits. 

• To strengthen hands-on elementary Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) learning opportunities in lower performing student populations, specifically through FIRST robotics and Inventure programs. 

“STEM education is present in nearly every aspect of our daily lives and in future job aspects students may pursue. Providing students with early educational exposure in STEM related career fields is important,” Danyelle Larkin, educational outreach manager at Georgia Institute of Technology. 

Larkin attended the summit to introduce educators and businesses to the K-12 Inventure Prize curriculum and other STEM partnership opportunities. 

“Thomasville National Bank is excited to be a part of a larger movement to help connect local business with schools. Equipping students to be financially literate is one part of the puzzle. Allowing students to connect with potential employers through workforce learning is another part of the puzzle,” said Melvin Hugans, Thomasville National Bank Community Reinvestment Officer.  

“The problem has been each entity has their own piece of the puzzle and we don’t have the opportunity to connect and put it all together. That was a primary goal of the summit,” Hugans said. 

To follow up on the summit, Imagine Thomasville staff, along with Thomasville National Bank, will work with school administrators and Southern Regional Technical College to implement the program recommendations.

The School to Business Summit follows up on the completion of the second cohort of Project Purpose, an Imagine Thomasville initiative that helps place graduating seniors interested in going directly into the workforce. The team will be hosting a “signing day” at the Thomasville-Thomas County Chamber of Commerce located at 401 S. Broad St. on August 9 at 10 a.m. to celebrate four program graduates who have signed on with Blackwater Timber, CleaverBrooks, Checkmate Industries, and Canfor. The event will be open to the public to highlight students that are willing to gain the skill sets that are currently in demand.

“We are blessed to have so much synergy around the workforce initiatives happening in our community,” said Ansley Lacy, marketing and membership coordinator with Imagine Thomasville. “We want people to know that we are here to be a resource for the entire business community and plan to continue hosting these programs to strengthen our current and future workforce.”