Initiative helps workers, employers get most out of job
By LaTina Emerson| Staff Writer
Thursday, January 24, 2008

Employers suffering from high turnover and unskilled employees might find help with a fairly unknown statewide initiative.

The Georgia Work Ready Program, a free service to job seekers and employers, is being pushed by educators and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

"We're trying to grow jobs here and keep jobs here," Lisa Palmer, the director of Augusta Technical College's Business & Industry Services Department, said Wednesday during a gathering of the Augusta-Area Society for Human Resources Management chapter.

The program, created in 2006 with help from the Governor's Office, offers free services such as job profiling and assessments to give employers, educators and job seekers "a common language," Ms. Palmer said.

As a result, job training in Georgia will improve, which enhances the state's marketability and drives statewide economic development efforts, she said.

Ms. Palmer has spent the past year conducting business and industry training for 210 local companies.

She learns what skills are required for certain jobs, then develops a list of the skills needed to do the jobs effectively, using parameters determined by the American College Testing Association.

If employers were to do this, it would cost them $2,000. Employers also used the program's computerized assessments to determine employee skill levels for job openings or promotions.

All technical colleges in Georgia provide Internet-based training for workers who need to improve skills in particular areas. Because some companies are requiring the training, those who complete the tests receive a certificate.

Ms. Palmer is optimistic the program will benefit Georgia employers.

"If you've got people who can do the job, that's half the battle right there," she said.

Reach LaTina Emerson at (706) 823-3227 or latina.emerson@augustachronicle.com.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

FOR EMPLOYERS:

- Reduces turnover and overtime and increases company morale

- Identifies necessary job skills

- Provides information for better hiring decisions

- Improves job training effectiveness by determining skills gaps

FOR JOB SEEKERS:

- Gives confidence they can meet employer's needs

- Opens doors for professional advancement

- Increases understanding of employer's job requirements

FOR EDUCATORS:

- Helps to align curricula with job skills employers need

- Increases chances graduates are hired

- Improves students' success in the work force

For more information, go to: georgiaworkready.org">style="bold">georgiaworkready.org.

Source: Georgia Work Ready Program

From the Thursday, January 24, 2008 edition of the Augusta Chronicle
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