In what has been described as a first step toward ensuring Chatham County has the resources to attract and grow jobs, the Savannah Economic Development Authority, Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce and United Way of the Coastal Empire have come together to conduct a county-wide workforce development survey.
The goal of the survey is to identify all workforce development programs in Chatham County and subsequently create a functional map showing the training programs that exist and whom they serve.
The survey is part of a larger effort by the three groups to identify and better understand workforce development offerings in Chatham County, provide evidence that Chatham County has the resources necessary to support the local labor force in acquiring necessary skills and education and create an action plan to resolve any identified gaps.
“By understanding the variety of local workforce training programs, the Savannah Economic Development Authority, along with our partners, can do a better job of creating, growing and attracting jobs and investment in Chatham County,” said Trip Tollison, SEDA president and CEO.
Bill Hubbard, president and CEO of the Savannah Chamber, said the survey will help business leaders and others know what is out there and what is needed.
“This is the first step in comprehensively understanding the scope of workforce programs available in Chatham County,” Hubbard said. “It will give us a great visual representation of the workforce development environment.”
The United Way also works with a number of nonprofit workforce development programs.
“Economic independence is a core focus for us,” said Gregg Schroeder, president and CEO of the United Way.
“By participating in this workforce study, we can do a better job of identifying the programs and services that can help move more people to financial stability.”
The survey will be available online until Oct. 18.
ON THE WEB
To access the survey, go to seda.org or https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/sedaworkforce.
