The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) announced the award of $4.85 million to a consortium of Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) colleges to help meet labor market demands for a skilled workforce. The “Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants” aim to address the skill development needs of employers and to support workers in gaining skills and transition quickly from unemployment to employment. The grants also build the capacity of community and technical colleges to address challenges associated with the Coronavirus pandemic, such as expanding online and technology-enabled learning.

“One of the Peach State’s greatest economic strengths is our workforce,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “As we continue to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19, it is critical that we build on that strength to ensure Georgians are able to find work and opportunity in the days ahead. Our economic development team continues to announce projects in every region of the state, and these grants will help our technical colleges ensure businesses find a team of skilled, hardworking Georgians ready to meet their needs no matter where they locate.”

Georgia’s grant recipients are a consortium of technical colleges that are undertaking capacity building and systems change at the state level. The consortium will work with workforce development partners and employer partners to train a broad spectrum of workers, including dislocated workers, incumbent workers, and new entrants to the workforce. The industries of focus in Georgia are healthcare, information technology, and manufacturing.

“As Georgia recovers from the impact of the Coronavirus, our technical colleges play a vital role in training the workforce that business and industry needs,” said TCSG Commissioner, Greg Dozier. “We are extremely grateful for this grant provided by The U.S. Department of Labor as it will provide us with the resources necessary to get more people skilled with industry-recognized credentials and back to work in some of Georgia’s leading sectors.”

TCSG’s consortium partners are as follows:

• Athens Technical College

• Central Georgia Technical College

• Coastal Pines Technical College

• Columbus Technical College

• Georgia Northwestern Technical College

• Georgia Piedmont Technical College

• Gwinnett Technical College

• Lanier Technical College

• Ogeechee Technical College

• Savannah Technical College

• Southern Regional Technical College

• Wiregrass Georgia Technical College