From 2010 to 2022, Georgia’s population growth exceeded that of the United States. While the nation’s population grew 7.7% during that time, the population of the Peach State grew by 12.4%. 

Unfortunately, the population growth, especially among adults moving to the state, has not matched workforce needs and job openings in the greater Atlanta metro area. According to WorkSource Metro Atlanta, local employers are still recruiting heavily in the following high-demand fields:

• Business Services 
• Health Sciences 
• Information Technology
• Transportation, Distribution and Logistics 
• Construction
• Hospitality and Tourism
• Public Services (including police officers and firefighters)

In the 10-county metro Atlanta region, the organization identified numerous job titles that show a favorable mix of projected long-term growth, job openings and median wages. A few of those high-demand job titles are:

• Accountants and Auditors
• Human Resources Specialists
• Computer Systems Analysts
• Software Developers
• Elementary School Teachers
• Registered Nurses

To address Georgia’s workforce needs, businesses, schools, professional trade organizations and economic development organizations must work together to recruit and train qualified individuals to fill the talent pipeline. Meeting these needs sooner rather than later requires expeditious solutions that address the skills gaps needed to fill these positions without sacrificing quality. 

Community colleges fill the pipeline

For many individuals, earning a professional certification or associate degree is a quicker and more cost-effective way to obtain the skills and credentials needed to start in a good-paying profession. 

One significant contributor to Georgia’s workforce development is the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSC). TCSG operates 22 individual colleges statewide and graduated more than 37,000 students last year. They also report that 99% of their graduates are presently either employed or continuing their education. 

Through a partnership agreement signed in 2022, TCSG graduates can transfer to accredited, online, nonprofit Western Governors University to earn their bachelor’s degrees and take their careers even further. As part of the agreement, TCSG graduates and staff can also apply for designated WGU Community College Partner Scholarships.

At the partnership signing ceremony, TCSG Commissioner Greg Dozier stated, “This agreement means more seamless postsecondary pathways for students interested in furthering their education after TCSG. WGU’s flexible, online program offerings allow busy students the ability to pursue a degree on their time, helping to strengthen Georgia’s workforce.”

To date, more than 2,900 graduates of TCSG schools have transferred to WGU to continue their education. 

Online, competency-based education

WGU currently has 8,432 total students enrolled from Georgia, and 62% of them report that they work either full- or part-time. WGU’s degree offerings in business, IT, healthcare and K-12 education align well with many of Georgia’s workforce needs. 

WGU also offers two other advantages to adults seeking to earn their bachelor’s degrees quicker: rolling terms and competency-based education (CBE).

WGU has rolling terms that begin every month. That means that upon admission, a student could potentially begin his or her coursework on the first day of the next month. WGU’s flat-rate tuition and six-month terms (longer than traditional four-month college semesters) also mean students can take as many courses as they wish during a term, with the approval of their assigned program mentor, without paying more. 

CBE is a model that has been around for a while but is gaining momentum in higher education. It relies on students demonstrating mastery of real-world applications of subjects through projects, exams and portfolios, which students complete at their own pace. When a WGU student demonstrates mastery of course materials, whether at an accelerated or measured pace, they pass the course and can move on to the next one. 

According to a recent article in Forbes, American educator Ralph Tyler urged that CBE curriculum “should be dynamic, always under evaluation and revision.” That means students are learning new skills and concepts sought by employers, instead of outdated material of little or no use in the current workplace.

The average time for Georgians to earn their bachelor’s degree with WGU is 27 months. To help defray the cost of WGU’s already low tuition, the university awarded over $2 million in scholarships to Georgians over the past 12 months. That means WGU students are graduating quicker and with less debt than the national average. 

Through proper alignment of workforce needs and curricula for post-secondary credentials and degrees, employers and institutions of higher learning can communicate and collaborate to provide tech-forward solutions that prepare skilled workers in Georgia for the near future and beyond.