The same survey that recognized Georgia as the best state in the country for doing business for 10 straight years has named Georgia Quick Start – a division of the Technical College System of Georgia – the number one workforce training program in the U.S. Area Development magazine, a trade publication for professional site locators, has conducted its survey of site professionals for 14 years, and this marks the 14th time Quick Start was voted the best workforce training program in the country.
“At the heart of Georgia’s No. 1 ranking for workforce training opportunities is its Quick Start program,” the magazine reported in its latest issue. According to the report, Quick Start has delivered more than 6,630 projects training more than 1.2 million employees since its creation in 1967 and is currently developing training for a host of companies in Georgia’s clean energy sector.
The magazine goes on to state that “Companies in manufacturing, biotechnology, information technology and other sectors need tech-savvy workers with special skills, and this program has helped attract those businesses in Georgia.”
The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) has often been referred to as the state’s secret weapon for recruiting business and industry, and Quick Start has been cited as the “deciding factor” in company decisions choosing Georgia. This includes companies such as Kia Georgia Inc., King’s Hawaiian, SK battery America, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Hyundai Motor Group, Starbucks, Hanwha Qcells USA, and many others.
“The state’s Quick Start program has helped us attract and train workers with a speed and scale that would be difficult for any company to do on its own,” said SKBA CEO Timothy Jeong in a quote cited by the editors of Area Development.
“Quick Start’s customized training for new and expanding businesses is the economic development incentive the helps seal the deal for many companies who choose Georgia,” said TCSG Commissioner Greg Dozier. “We’re very honored to have our Quick Start team named number one for the 14th consecutive year, and it wouldn’t be possible if not for the outstanding partnership between our 22 technical colleges and Georgia Quick Start.”
“Our team has never been busier, with several training centers under development across the state and our advanced manufacturing team hard at work on training materials for our state’s growing clean energy workforce,” said Scott McMurray, deputy commissioner of Georgia Quick Start. “We thank our site location partners for recognizing our record of success and having the confidence in our successful performance in the future.”
