State Government, Legislation, and
Workforce Development
State Senator Bruce Thompson
April 20, 2015
Introduction
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Starting 2nd term in Senate
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Represent portions of Bartow, Cherokee and Cobb counties
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2012 Chairman of the Bartow County Chamber of
Commerce
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Business Owner
- All State
- Automatic Covers
- QuoteBurst
"The search for better, for more competent men was never more
vigorous than it is now. And more than ever before is the
demand for competent men in excess of the supply. What we
are all looking for, however, is the ready-made, competent man;
the man whom someone else has trained. It is only when we
fully realize that our duty, as well as our opportunity, lies in
systematically cooperating to train and to make this competent
man, instead of in hunting for a man whom someone else has
trained, that we shall be on the road to national efficiency.”
Frederick Taylor, 1911
Overview
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Current Posture of our State Government
Philosophy of Our State’s Leaders
Legislation
Observations as a Business Owner
Observations as a Community Leader
Where We Go From Here
Questions
Current Posture of Our State Government
CNBC ranks Georgia:
- #1 in workforce
- #1 in 2012, 2013 and 2014
- #4 in 2011
- #32 in education
Site Selection ranks Georgia:
- #1 in labor climate
Current Posture of Our State Government
Fastest Growing Industries of 2014 in Georgia (% Growth):
- Professional and Business Services: 5.6%
- Leisure and Hospitality: 4.6%
- Construction: 3.3%
Largest Growth for 2014 in Georgia:
- Professional and Business Services: 32,900 Jobs
- Trade, Transportation and Utilities: 26,800 Jobs
- Leisure and Hospitality: 18,900 Jobs
Current Posture of Our State Government
- Republicans hold super majority in House (120-59-1)
- Republicans hold super majority in Senate (38-18)
- Republicans hold all Constitutional Officer seats
Philosophy of Our State’s Leaders
Questions we often ask:
- Does the state legislature have the authority?
- Should Government play a role in developing
the workforce?
- Can we be effective at it?
Philosophy of Our State’s Leaders
- Government is reactive, not forward-thinking.
- Businesses invest and innovate; Government is
generally discouraged from investing.
- Gaps in needed workforce in new areas for
several years (ex: Programming field).
- Significant fiscal benefits to having a skilled and
ready workforce
Philosophy of Our State’s Leaders
“The General Assembly finds that it would be beneficial to students, employers, and
the economic health of the state to assist in providing highly trained, technologically
sophisticated, and career oriented students which will aid in the development of a
successful twenty-first century work force.
By opening their doors to work based learning opportunities, employers can play an
active role in shaping the quality of their future work force, by preparing potential
leaders for their company and their community, and by helping shape future
curriculum to create an educated work force for their industry as a whole.
Work based learning programs can provide students the opportunity to work and
learn in a real-world environment and prepare them for future career opportunities.
Such work based learning opportunities can be accomplished by developing
partnerships between and among the business community, industry, students,
parents, school systems, and postsecondary education institutions.”
General Assembly’s findings in HB 776, as signed by the Governor
Legislation
“Work Based Learning Act” - HB 766 - 2014
Effective July 1, 2014
- Intent is to broaden training & class credits.
- Moves more to local control of crediting by
empowering local work based coordinators
Current Legislation
Senate Bill 2
Provides former students who did not complete high school with
ways to receive a high school diploma through skill training and/or
certification.
Passed Senate 56-0 and is now awaiting the Governor’s
signature.
Current Legislation
Senate Bill 2
1. State Board of Technical College System provides State
BOE with areas of study that workforce is needed in.
2. State BOE relays that information to local school boards.
3. Local school boards determine if skill training performed by
student is adequate and can award diploma.
Current Legislation
House Resolution 103
Recognizes December 10th as Georgia’s Day of Coding.
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Encourages schools to enable students to take part in “Hour
of Code” at Code.org during the week of Dec. 10th.
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Encourages lawmakers to allow programming classes count
towards required math and science credits.
Adopted in House and the Senate.
Current Legislation
Senate Bill 89
The Digital Classrooms Act
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Would require all new materials and content be
purchased in digital formats and not as textbooks.
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Would require schools provide a laptop or tablet for
every student in every school
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If signed into law, this would go into effect in 2020.
Waiting on the Governor to sign.
Observations as a Business Owner
- Lack of talent outside of Atlanta in programming.
- 18 month "ramp up" time frame in our business for
programmers.
- Earning potential for worker drastically lower
because of training/ramp up time.
Observations as a Community Leader in
Bartow County
Companies moving to and growing in Bartow:
- Toyo employs 1100 and will grow to 1500. Investments
were $500 million and will grow to $1 billion.
- Voestalpine projects employment of 220 with an
investment of 70 million.
Phillipp Schultz, CEO, tells story of Austria workforce
advantages over U.S.
Observations as a Community Leader in
Bartow County
Companies moving to and growing in Bartow:
- LakePoint-Potential 1.5 billion investment resulting in
approximately 20,000 positions.
- Avatron Smart Park-Initial $480 million investment
resulting in approximately 2000 positions.
Where Do We Go From Here?
- Public/Private partnerships for faster reaction to
changing fields / needs in workforce and
application to education
- Digital classroom materials, early introduction to
computer programming
"The search for better, for more competent men was never more
vigorous than it is now. And more than ever before is the
demand for competent men in excess of the supply. What we
are all looking for, however, is the ready-made, competent man;
the man whom someone else has trained. It is only when we
fully realize that our duty, as well as our opportunity, lies in
systematically cooperating to train and to make this competent
man, instead of in hunting for a man whom someone else has
trained, that we shall be on the road to national efficiency.”
Frederick W. Taylor, 1911
Questions For You
- How can we help you be effective as career
counselors for our state’s students?
- How do you think we could move at a faster pace
to recognize and implement new skills and fields of
study?
- What are your opinions on the effectiveness of our
current programs?