South Georgia Technical College hosts One Sumter Workforce Development meeting

September 15, 2016

Workforce Development Strategy Team Members (L-R): Kimothly Hadley, Principal, Americus - Sumter County High School South Campus; Barbara Grogan, Executive Director, Sumter County Payroll Development Authority; Dr. John Watford, President, South Georgia Technical College; Mike Harris, Board Member, Furlow Charter School; Mary Alice Applegate, Archway Professional, Sumter County Archway Partnership; Lorenzo Johnson, Career Facilitator, Paxen; Valerie Duff, Principal, Furlow Charter School; Wally Summers, Vice President of Economic Development, South Georgia Technical College; Sandra Fowler, Director of Career Services, Georgia Southwestern State University; David Peppers, Human Resource Manager, IMERYS; Ivy Oliver, Director of Member Services, Sumter County Chamber of Commerce and One Sumter; Dr. Rachel Abbott, Dean, Georgia Southwestern State University School of Education; Candace Head, Region 8 Coordinator, Georgia Department of Labor; Dr. Charles Patterson, Interim President, Georgia Southwestern State University; Michelle McKie, Director of Clinical Experiences, Georgia Southwestern State University School of Education; Jim Shaw, Americus Career Center Manager, Georgia Department of Labor; Jem Morris, Area Manager, Georgia Power; David Kuipers, Vice President for Academic Affairs, South Georgia Technical College; and Mary Beth Bass, Executive Director, One Sumter Economic Development Foundation.

South Georgia Technical College hosted the One Sumter Workforce Development strategy team meeting at the Heavy Equipment Dealers College of Technology building on the Americus campus recently.
The purpose of the meeting was to help define the workforce development challenges and issues relevant specifically to Sumter County as well as discuss best practices for work-based learning. This was the second meeting of the One Sumter Workforce Development strategy team.
South Georgia Technical College President John Watford welcomed the group to the South Georgia Technical College campus and shared with the individuals present about the partnerships that South Georgia Tech has built with world-class organizations such as Caterpillar, John Deere, Georgia Power, Metro Power, and Kauffman Tire Company.
Dr. Watford also led the group on a short tour of South Georgia Technical College which include the Heavy Equipment Dealers Technology Building where the Caterpillar classes are held as well as the Energy and Transportation Center building which houses the John Deere Agricultural Technology program. Visitors were also given the opportunity to visit the Griffin B. Bell Aviation Center and see the Skills field area utilized for the Electrical Lineworker classes in partnership with Georgia Power and other electric utility companies.
The One Sumter Workforce Development Strategy team consists of local educators and administrators, representatives from South Georgia Technical College and Georgia Southwestern State University, the Sumter County Payroll Development Authority, Georgia Department of Labor and local business and industry partners.
The purpose of this meeting was to gain a better understanding of the educational training programs already in place in Sumter County.