Career and technical education teachers from the Fayette County School System spent part of their pre-planning meeting with Jamie Jordan, program manager of Georgia’s High Demand Career Initiative (HDCI) that was created by Governor Nathan Deal three years ago.
The HDCI allows institutions in the state that are involved in training Georgia’s future workforce to hear directly from business and industry representatives about the specific work skills needed to fill jobs, such as degrees or certificates, coursework, skill sets, and internships or apprenticeships.
Jordan provided teachers with a lot of valuable information regarding high demand careers in Georgia, and the skills employers say they need to fill jobs within the career sectors. One high demand sector many found surprising was manufacturing.
“Manufacturing has really made a comeback in Georgia. The supply of manufacturing workers in Georgia is not keeping up with the demand for workers. The supply and demand in the state’s manufacturing industry has increased 30 percent,” Jordan said.
However, he was quick to point out that today’s factories are not like those that most people remember from the past, and that misconception of the jobs available in manufacturing has lead to a shortage of qualified employees.
“There is a perception that manufacturing is blue collar, dirty jobs where a college degree is not needed. But today’s manufacturing is done mainly by robotics, not people working on the floor. So now there is a great need for mechanical and electrical engineers, software developers, and computer programmers. This information needs to get out to parents and students,” Jordan said.
He also added that jobs in the manufacturing industry offer above average salaries with many starting between $60,000 to $80,000 per year.
Other high demand, growth sectors include healthcare; information technology; film, television, and interactive entertainment; logistics; aerospace; agriculture; and construction, all in need of employees that have a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) background as well as skilled trades.
Other than specific job-related skills, employers are also reporting a critical need for employees with soft skills that include written and verbal communication, teamwork, problem solving, intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and work ethic.
“Employers find these skills are lacking in younger employees. If an employee has the job knowledge, but cannot work on a team, or write a legible email, that employee is not going to have a job for long,” Jordan said.
Middle and high school principals, local business representatives, and Fayette County Chamber of Commerce Chamber staff also attended the meeting, which was held at the meeting place of the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce.
