As Georgia earns the No. 1 ranking for the top state to do business for the fifth straight year, state leaders and stakeholders continue to look for way to build the Georgia’s talent pool and prepare the future workforce.
Monday, the Georgia Foundation for Public Education awarded mini-grants to 17 schools to support student career-readiness activities associated with the YouScience aptitude assessment tool. This unique college and career guidance platform is free for Georgia middle and high schools through a partnership between the Georgia Department of Education and Technical College System of Georgia. The assessment tool was introduced in Georgia schools two years ago as part of a pilot program. Today, YouScience is used across the state.
“Industry leaders continue to face difficulties identifying talent for current vacancies and jobs of the future,” said Paige Pushkin, GFPE Executive Director. “The Georgia Foundation for Public Education wants to make sure every student can find a career they enjoy while earning a living wage. In partnership with Georgia Power and the Georgia Department of Education, we are thrilled to provide these grants for schools that want to take student preparedness to the next level.”
Schools across the state had the opportunity to apply for up to $5,000 in upfront funding, due to the donations and ongoing support of Georgia’s future workforce by Georgia Power’s Office of Community and Economic Development. The grant recipients include schools from all across the state. The funding will be used for a variety of innovative career-readiness programs, including purchasing Chromebooks for a mini Career Lab, funding transportation for job shadowing, holding mock interviews, career fairs and industry tours, as well technical college visits and industry speakers.
The Georgia Foundation for Public Education is the foundation of the Georgia Department of Education, and exists for the single purpose of supporting educational excellence for students in Georgia. Learn more at GFPE.org.
