NEWS

Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp hosted a Workforce Summit last week, and our region had prominent seats at the table. At the CEO Roundtable on Wednesday, Savannah Area Chamber President & CEO Bert Brantley joined Gulfstream’s Vice President for Law & Public Affairs Jay Neely for the 90-minute discussion featuring leaders across the state in various industries. Neely also served as a panelist on Thursday, highlighting the innovative practices Gulfstream uses to recruit and retain talented workers. Governor Kemp also used the Summit to announce a groundbreaking new program called Georgia MATCH.

Starting next week, more than 120,000 high school seniors in Georgia will receive a personalized letter from the governor listing the public universities, colleges, and technical colleges they are academically eligible to attend based on their latest grades. The letters will explain how students can claim a spot being held for them at the institutions listed. With 38,406 new jobs created in Georgia in just the last fiscal year and just for projects in which the state played a direct role, GEORGIA MATCH is aimed at helping to keep up with the growing demand for workers. According to the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, only one out-of-work Georgian is seeking a job for every three job postings listed.

All of Georgia’s high school seniors will receive a personalized letter declaring them eligible for admission to the state’s 22 technical colleges, which do not require minimum high school grade-point averages. Letters to students with higher GPAs will also list up to 23 public colleges and universities those students are eligible to attend.

All GEORGIA MATCH participating institutions will waive application fees next month for students who apply through the program’s portal.