Uga Center for Continuing Education Hotel Athens Ga

Innovating Georgia's Workforce Pipeline Conference

Join us for the one-and-a-half-day conference to learn about the innovative ways Georgia is approaching talent development and building the workforce pipeline.

Dates, Location, Cost, and Registration

Tuesday, November 1

12:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, November 2

8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel
1197 S. Lumpkin Street
Athens, GA 30602

Registration is closed.

Attendee Registration Information

Who Should Come?

This conference will have sessions for just about everyone who is involved in workforce development in one way or another. Economic developers, chamber leaders and members, K-12 and post-secondary educators, CTAE representatives, business representatives, industry leaders, and more will all find sessions that interest them. Sessions will work to connect these groups and create networking opportunities among the groups in addition to learning best practices, replicating various workforce development strategies in a community, and learning about the innovative ways Georgia is approaching workforce development.

Conference Information

The Innovating Georgia's Workforce Pipeline Conference will bring together partners in workforce development, education, business and economic development to learn about promising practices and emerging ideas to build our state's talent pipeline.
Attendees will explore strategies for supporting youth as they transition from education to career. Attendees will hear from national and state innovators, gain additional insights and resources and network with new partners.

Topics

Breakout session topics include:

Leveraging Apprenticeships for Workforce Solutions will focus on how Georgia's business and industry leaders can engage with young adults and job seekers who want better job training and career opportunities. This session will provide strategies and ideas for business owners in establishing their own apprenticeship programs as well as how to make these apprenticeships fit into their workforce needs.

Hiring and Retaining Workers with Disabilities will inform business leaders and nonprofit partners how to hire, train, and retain Georgians with disabilities. This session is designed to ensure that industries are equipped with the proper know-how and resources to develop solutions that work for both disabled Georgians and businesses seeking new, qualified employees.

BeProBeProud will present a cutting-edge opportunity for Georgians to test a variety of good-paying, fast-growing professions through a high-quality experiential experience. The BeProBeProud team and their state-of-the-art mobile workshop will be on-site to allow participants to experience this workforce development asset and learn how to utilize it in their community's workforce development efforts.

Innovative and Agile Strategies to Recruit and Retain will provide timely information as many of Georgia's businesses deal with increased turnover and a lack of candidates available for new jobs. This session will provide strategies and resources to help Georgia businesses find—and keep—qualified employees.

Collaborative Partnerships for Education Equity: Building the Workforce of the Futurewill offer a panel-style presentation around increasing equity in education and workforce opportunities. This extended session will feature leaders in several organizations that work to improve the environment of the workplace by increasing equity, diversity, and inclusion, and the leaders will discuss how to effectively create partnerships to do so.

Georgia's Changing Demographics and Their Impact on Georgia's Workforce will connect the dots between the state's demographics and workforce development utilizing relevant data on the state's population, including labor force statistics, employment, wages, projections, and industry data. This session will inform participants of the future of Georgia's workforce based on population projections at both the state and regional level.

Attracting Talent Through Vibrant Communitieswill emphasize the influence that community can have on attracting and retaining residents and a strong workforce. This session will give attendees ideas for simple quality-of-life improvements and community beautification and will offer tips for successfully branding a community.

Workforce Solutions Through WIOA: Leveraging Federal Programs for Local Success will focus on the best ways to utilize funding from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to create more job opportunities and support programs to prepare future workers. This session will include strategies for using WIOA to bolster youth development and support more quality work-based training as well as how to improve the local workforce development systems.

Plenary Speakers

David Croom
Associate Director
Postsecondary Success for Parents, Ascend at The Aspen Institute

Keynote speaker David Croom will give a presentation on Supporting Parents through Workforce Pathways: A Key Talent Pool in Georgia.

Postsecondary and workforce development providers often overlook or underestimate the needs of a key population looking to better themselves: people with dependent children. Parents are highly motivated to develop desired skills so they can enter careers that allow them to make a better future for their families, but workforce development programs are often not designed with them in mind. Incorporating parents' voices and expertise into program and policy design is essential to developing systems and services that lead to their success.

David Croom from Ascend at the Aspen Institute will share why parents are a key population for workforce programs, related two-generation (2Gen) work happening in the state of Georgia and how practitioners can better address their needs.

Keith Parker
President and CEO
Goodwill of North Georgia

Keith Parker, joined with our other Presidents and CEOs, will participate in a panel discussion of how employers are preparing workers, building the workforce pipeline, and recruiting the next generation of talent.

Keith Parker has served as the President and CEO of Goodwill of North Georgia for five years, connecting hundreds of thousands of job seekers with employers and increasing the agency's reach beyond local employers, federal and commercial contracts, and their workforce development partners. Goodwill of North Georgia is the #1 non-profit in the USA for connecting people to jobs.

Katie Kirkpatrick
President and CEO
Metro Atlanta Chamber

Katie Kirkpatrick has been serving at the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC) for more than a decade, becoming the President and CEO in 2020. Katie Kirkpatrick is known for her public policy prowess, courageous leadership, and more than a decade of driving impact through her work at MAC.

Over the years, she has focused on public policy and government affairs, as well as innovation, entrepreneurship, and higher education. She has also worked to advance the region's ability to create, recruit, and retain jobs in Georgia's top-rated business climate, plus executed key initiatives to strengthen the region's higher education ecosystem and workforce development.

Lloyd Avram
President
Georgia Association of Manufacturers

Lloyd Avram is the President of the Georgia Association of Manufacturers (GAM). Lloyd has led the Association since July 1, 2022. He joined GAM from Chevron, one of the world's leading energy producers and manufacturers of refined products. During his 13 years with Chevron at headquarters in San Ramon, CA, he oversaw global Media Relations and issues management for the company, and then served as National Manager, State Government Affairs. In this latter role, he held responsibility for leading a team that engaged with state elected officials across the country on energy policy and legislative matters.

He also served as an executive member of Chevron's Government Affairs leadership team and oversaw the company's political action committee and political policies. GAM stays focused on educational resources and workforce development for its members by engaging in ongoing networking and education opportunities held by subject-matter experts in order to learn best practices from their counterparts at other GAM member companies.

Lodging

For your convenience, blocks of rooms are being held at the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel, Hilton Garden Inn, and Springhill Suites. Lodging is limited, so please book early! The last day to reserve a room within the block is October 1, 2022. University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel
1197 South Lumpkin Street, Athens, GA 30602 | 706.542.2134
Guests can reserve a room by calling 706.542.2134 and using group code 94539A.
Reserve a room online by clicking here.
*Room block is full!*

Hilton Garden Inn
390 East Washington Street, Athens, GA 30601 | 706.353.6800
Reserve a room online by clicking here.

Springhill Suites
220 South Hull Street, Athens, GA 30605 | 706.850.2072
Reserve a room online by clicking here.

Thank you to our event sponsors!



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Atlanta Electrical Contractors Association Electric Cities of Georgia Georgia Association of Manufacturers Goodwill of North Georgia Jackson EMC Textron *Confirmed sponsors as of 9/9/22