How Two Georgia Cities Are Prioritizing Workforce Development

Few things can empower a person the way that a stable income can. To that end, the cities of Douglas and Forest Park are each promoting innovative workforce development programs designed to help constituents reach new personal and professional heights. 

Forest Park Set to Equip Local Homeless With Tools for Success  

Located minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the city of Forest Park already offers significant professional opportunities for its residents. Despite this, the area’s benches, sidewalks, and parks are where many homeless people pass their days and nights. Forest Park’s City Manager Ricky Clark, along with local partners, is now on a self-described, “Quest to provide resources for those who can’t provide for themselves.”  

Known as “Elevate - From Shelter to Stability,” the program aims to empower individuals experiencing homelessness by providing them with workforce development skills training and all of the related tools for continued success, Clark says. In concert with local partners including Clayton State University, Cavalry Refuge Center, Clayton County, and local employers, the plan is to connect local homeless with programs that can train them to be skilled members of the workforce. “We will facilitate training all the way through job placement,” Clark explains, noting that each experience will be tailored to the individual based on whether they receive on-the-job training, or participate in local adult education/career services programs. 

Other hurdles loom large, however. “We also have to mitigate the barriers these displaced individuals are experiencing,” Clark explains, adding that the majority don’t have cars, childcare access, and other things that employees must have to be successful in the workplace. 

Clark also says that mental health services are going to be of paramount importance so that these citizens can achieve their goals and maintain progress. The current plan is to leverage relationships with local organizations already equipped to help, rather than reinventing the wheel. This will likely involve regular check-ins to make sure that the tools for success are at the ready. “We’re not just giving them a job, we’re trying to make them producing citizens,” Clark explains.  

The launch of the program is scheduled for January 2025. Many participants will likely be referred by Cavalry Refuge Center, however Clark says that the plan is to reach even further. “We’re going out into our parks and community to have these conversations,” Clark says. “We feel that this program is going to be more hands-on, so we’ll go to where they are to extend a helping hand.”  

As the initiative grows, the city will appeal to philanthropic organizations for donations to help as many local homeless as possible. Clark says, “I believe that once this is launched it’s going to be like gas on a fire and it’s going to spread.” 

Douglas Aviation Initiative Set to Take Off 

The aviation industry is growing at a rapid clip, but a workforce shortage is looming, says Charles Davis, city manager of the south Georgia city of Douglas. “There’s a lot of potential in aviation, but at the same time not enough students are not choosing it,” Davis says. Students are steering away for a variety of reasons, including the perception that they won’t be able to attain aviation certification/degrees, financial barriers, and simple geographics (they want so stay close to home for professional training).  

Now, the City of Douglas and Coffee County are working with a number of community partners on an aviation-specific workforce initiative, which is planned to include a flight school, technical school, charter service, flight repair center, and more.  

This is not Douglas’s first foray into aviation, however. During World War II, the rural city boasted a large aviation training base that proved critical to the success of the war effort. “We did it once, let’s do it again!” Davis says. 

The multi-pronged effort will use existing buildings with the potential for new construction down the road as the aviation park and school grow and expand. The school component will function jointly with existing educational institutions like Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, South Georgia State College, and the Coffee County Board of Education to develop and provide curriculum for flight, aviation, and mechanical courses.   

Although any prospective aviation student is welcome, this initiative is specifically targeting non-traditional students seeking a two-year degree to get their career going. Additionally, it can serve people who already possess a four-year degree, but who require the technical certifications, as well as former military members who want to transition to other types of aircraft.  

Organizers are also taking a long game approach to attract talent. “In workforce development it doesn’t happen overnight,” Davis says, adding that the program is introducing comprehensive education to students of all ages about aviation careers through coloring books, airport tours, and more. “We’ve given them a thought pattern so they know that aviation is a path they can take in life,” he explains. This “talent pipeline” will take time to come to fruition, however it has the potential to keep the program rolling for the long-term.  

Some components of the program are up and running currently, and once it’s fully active the aviation initiative is likely to have a major local and statewide impact. “Positions in this field can introduce generational wealth and opportunity to families,” Davis explains, noting that rural education tends to be more affordable than in larger cities. In addition to providing for individuals and families, the effort is also poised to help local colleges expand into a new niche, and will hopefully stimulate the local economy, as well. Says Davis, “This is a win-sin scenario for the aviation industry not just in Douglas, but across Georgia.”