Effingham County, Georgia Crafts a Unique Educational Approach to Boost Industrial Workforce

Despite some interruptions – most notably the global pandemic and its associated supply chain issues – American manufacturing remains strong, though it may look a bit different from the way it did a few decades or even a few years ago. According to data from the World Economic Forum (WEF), the U.S. manufacturing sector on its own is the eighth largest economy in the world. While overall growth is expected to be modest in the next few years, expected interest rate cuts will likely offer the sector a significant boost. 

This isn’t to say that U.S. manufacturing hasn’t changed. Technologies such as AI, virtual reality and automation have altered the means of production, and many companies are still struggling to adapt. One of the biggest struggles has been finding, hiring and retaining a manufacturing workforce. There is some evidence of a disconnect between younger Americans approaching the job market and the companies that might wish to hire and train them. While high school students receive a flurry of communications from universities as well as the military, the trade workforce has been slower to connect with this potential worker pool in recent years. In addition, while students heading to college often find themselves with significant support and resources, there are fewer support structures designed for students who are not college-bound and wish to enter the workforce immediately following high school. 

Creating a Pipeline from High School to Industrial Opportunities

To fill the extensive workforce gaps, some regions of the country have taken to stepping in to help secondary school students understand the opportunities available to them in the industrial sector. While not all students want or need to attend college, many are looking for something more than dead-end fast food jobs that pay minimum wage and offer no path to advancement or upskilling. 

Effingham County, Georgia is one such region. The county, which is located between the Ogeechee and Savannah Rivers just north of Savannah, is a fast-growing area that continues to welcome new residents and new businesses and offers a high quality of life at lower costs than urban regions. One of Effingham County’s aims is to position itself as an ideal location for industry and manufacturing. Effingham County already offers manufacturing companies looking for a place to expand manufacturing or warehouse facilities with all the utilities, permitting, access to markets and other amenities required. But the county also understands that one of the hardest resources to acquire today is a reliable workforce. 

As a result, in 2021, the county crafted a unique educational opportunity for students called “The Workforce PhD program.” (The acronym PhD stands for “prepared, hard-working and dedicated,” attributes the program aims to cultivate.) The goal of the program is to engage students who have not committed to college or a career path beyond graduation but who are interested in career opportunities beyond minimum-wage jobs, according to Jessica Hood, CEcD, Vice President of the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority (ECIDA).

“We really wanted to give those students an opportunity to learn more about what they were looking for as they graduated, and also to learn more about the industrial businesses that were located within the community,” said Hood.

The school district partnered with the ECIDA, Savannah Technical College and several existing industries in the region and crafted an immersive four-day program designed to teach high school students the hard and soft skills they will require in manufacturing jobs such as building resumes and conducting themselves during interviews, teamwork, financial literacy and understanding the elements of job offers and the obligations of employment. The goal is to build confidence among students, but also to inform them of specific opportunities they could find with regional employers. 

“We wanted [students] to have the opportunity to see what these facilities look like on the inside,” said Hood. “A lot of students may pass by a manufacturer or a warehouse on the way to school, but they don’t know what it’s like on the inside, or what it’s like on a day-to-day basis to work in those facilities. So part of the four-day program is to get them into a couple of those facilities to do a tour and to get a feel for what it would be like to work there.”

An Opportunity for Employers and Students to Network

On the final day of Effingham County’s Workforce PhD program, students are given an opportunity to network with local employers. The program’s organizers invite local companies into the school to conduct speed networking sessions with interested students. Program participants can listen to prospective employers, ask questions and interact on a one-on-one basis with companies that are hiring. At the same time, the employers are able to connect with students and identify candidates who might be a good fit for job openings upon graduation. Typically, the networking events attract between 10 and 15 employers. 

Following the networking session, the Workforce PhD program provides students who participate with a graduation event to which they can invite friends and family members. 

“These students have really worked hard throughout the week, and we want them to feel like they’ve accomplished something,” noted Todd Wall, CEO of the Career Academy. “And they really have. The teachers and principals of the [local] schools can come, and a lot of the employers will stay and celebrate with the students.”

Program graduates receive a certificate as well as a significant accomplishment to add to a resume. Students graduating from the program have recognized the value of the experience to help them learn about opportunities they may not have considered, and the ability to connect with employers, peers and mentors. Many student graduates of the program have reported connecting with potential employers very quickly after graduation. 

Scholarship Opportunities for Industry Workforce-Bound Standouts

The Workforce PhD program has added an extra incentive to succeed for students who pass through the program. Each year, four standout graduates of the program have an opportunity to earn a $500 scholarship. The Brandon Davis Memorial Scholarship was launched by the Effingham College and Career Academy, in partnership with the ECIDA and the Davis family, to award top program graduates with funds that can be used for a variety of opportunities: further career training, the tools of a new trade (such as uniforms, tools or other necessities for pursuing a career in a trade) or to make a down payment on a vehicle. 

Positive Feedback from Area Employers

The programs have proven to be popular not only with students who appreciate the idea of a path other than college or the military, but also with area employers, who see the program as a viable pipeline to a reliable and willing workforce. 

“Engaging with the Workforce PhD students over the past four years has been a really dynamic part of our ongoing workforce development efforts,” said Steve Maharaj, vice president of manufacturing at Georgia-Pacific Savannah River Mill.  “It gives us a valuable way to connect with students who are eager to begin their career journeys after graduation, and it helps students chart their course for success in workplaces like Georgia-Pacific. We’ve been a proud Effingham employer for almost 40 years, and Workforce PhD gives our team members the opportunity to share their career journeys with our future workforce.  It’s a great partnership.”

Overall, Effingham County’s program has been such a success that neighboring communities have expressed interest in learning more about it to incorporate similar programs into their own workforce development efforts. 

The Final “E” of “The Three Es”

“This program is an awesome opportunity to go right in with our ‘Three Es’,” said Krystle Shuman, CTAE Supervisor at South Effingham High School. “We want our students to come out either employed, educated or enlisted. We want them to get jobs when they graduate. We want them to be prepared to go into the workforce.” 

To learn more about Effingham County and its Workforce PhD program, visit www.effinghamschools.com/curriculum-instruction/workforce-development. T&ID