Coastal Ga. Colleges Keep Labor Pool Stocked
Published Aug 18, 2009
Georgia Southern University in Statesboro
Businesses considering a relocation to or expansion in Coastal Georgia don’t have to wonder whether they’ll have enough skilled workers to get the job done.
An extensive education network includes multiple four-year schools, community colleges, tech schools and even high school career programs.
“The driver for this country in the future is the knowledge economy, and that needs a workforce that has skill sets, thinking, creativity, entrepreneurship and problem solving,” says Valerie Hepburn, College of Coastal Georgia president.
The college’s Brunswick campus is making the transition from a two-year to a four-year school, further enhancing the region’s workforce training with degrees in business, education and health sciences.
Administrators hope the school, which currently has an enrollment of 2,900, will grow to 6,000 students by 2020 and ultimately to 10,000. The college also has a campus in Camden.
One of the reasons the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia backed the conversion was to give students additional access to a four-year state college. “To compete, you must be able to field a workforce that not only offers bachelor’s degrees, but the opportunity to earn master’s degrees,” Hepburn says.
Major Economic Forces
Georgia Southern University in Statesboro offers more than 117 degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels in eight colleges.
The university, which had record student enrollment in fall 2008 of 17,748, is also a major economic force, generating an impact of nearly $750 million in 2007-2008.
Savannah State University’s enrollment is at nearly 3,500 students, the highest in the university’s 116-year history. The university offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in its College of Business Administration, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and College of Sciences and Technology.
Savannah Technical College, a leader in industry-driven continuing education, expects to move into a new 55,000-square-foot classroom building in January 2010 to accommodate steadily increasing enrollment.
Savannah Tech works closely with local business and industry leaders, tailoring programs specifically to meet the needs of area employers.
“Many things push that student into the classroom, but it’s only the business community that’s going to pull them out of the classroom,” says Ken Boyd, vice president of economic development for Savannah Tech.
The college’s Hire Education program links students with the job market by guaranteeing that if they complete a set program of work, they will have an interview with a local company in their field.
The college also reaches into high schools, offering students the chance to take college courses before graduation.
“We’re constantly working on not only the current workforce but the future workforce, as well,” Boyd says.
“I think that has a strong appeal for businesses coming into our area.”
Story by Michaela Jackson
Photo by Brian McCord
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