Albany Chamber Foundation presents talent development strategy
Special Photo: Albany Area Chamber
From staff reports
ALBANY — The Albany Area Chamber Foundation recently released the Albany-Dougherty County Works! Talent Strategy 2.0, developed through a steering committee collaborative of privateand public-sector partners to boost the local work force pipeline and create more opportunities for youths, adult citizens and employers. The strategy presents an update to the work plan designed in 2019 and released in 2020.
“The Albany Area Chamber and Albany Area Chamber Foundation, educational institutions, strategic partners, employers and the Albany community have placed priority emphasis, advocacy and action on creating, developing and expanding talent through innovative education, business partnerships and experiential learning,” Barbara Rivera Holmes president/CEO of the chamber and its 501(c)3 affiliate, the Albany Area Chamber Foundation, said, “These efforts have produced significant results for our community.
“The Albany-Dougherty County Works! Talent Strategy 2.0 is a continued and coordinated focus on programs and initiatives that build Albany’s work force.”
The strategy was shared at the April 12 Talent Summit Rise N Shine hosted by the Albany Area Chamber at Albany State University’s West Campus.
The 18-month work plan focuses on three priorities: community coordination and communication; youth pipeline development; and continued adult preparation. Priorities in these categories include development of a campaign focused on career path stories and an informative and interactive jobs and work force development platform; expansion of career exposure and awareness for Dougherty County students; assessment of job market needs to build a business-aligned work force; and coordination with area employers to codevelop industry pipeline training programs and certifications.
“Talent is the new infrastructure,” Holmes said. “A talented, qualified and available work force drives decisions — and success — for our existing businesses and new businesses.”
Initiatives implemented as a result of the first talent strategy include learning tours that allow educators to tour local employers and learn first-hand more about the skills students need to be successful in the work place; helping build student connections and mentorships with the business community; upskilling programs for parents and adults in the work force; youth entrepreneurial development, initiated through FLEX ABY, Albany’s first youth entrepreneurship competition; and development of a network of partners communicating on work force development initiatives.
The Albany-Dougherty County Works! Talent Strategy 2.0 was facilitated by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. The road map can be viewed at bit.ly/AlbanyDoughertyWorks2023. Community partners interested in serving on the implementation teams for the strategy may do so at bit.ly/TeamADCWorks2023 or by calling the Albany Area Chamber at (229) 434-8700.
Author
Related Articles
Dawson proposes borrowing up to $420,000 to stay afloat as finances unravel
Documents obtained by The Dawson News show city officials are proposing to balance the budget through a transfer from the Public Utilities Fund while simultaneously seeking authority to borrow as much as $420,000 from a private financial institution to continue meeting payroll and other operating expenses as Dawson works to complete financial audits that have remained unfinished since 2023.
Regional catering business finds new home at Warrior Creek Mercantile
For months, Marchbanks said she had been asking God for an opportunity to serve others. “I just kept praying, ‘God, use me as a servant,'” she recalled. “I didn’t care what it was. I just wanted to be used to help people.”
Leesburg business reflects growing trend toward multi-use downtown spaces
Beyond the pristinely curated lunch spot, owner Sheri Smith has created a small hub of health and wellness services, retail and local partnerships — an example of the type of multi-use business model many small communities are increasingly embracing as they reinvest in historic downtown properties.
