Workforce Training:

The Covington/Newton County Chamber of Commerce strives to support the Workforce Development efforts of all local and regional partners. These efforts include the Chambers Work Force Development Committee, our affiliation with the Georgia Economic Developers Association's Education and Workforce Development Committee, Work Ready Certification for high school seniors and partnerships with DeKalb Technical College, Georgia Perimeter College and the Newton County School System. Listed are examples of local and regional work force training programs:

Newton County School System  
http://www.newtoncountyschools.org

Educational Excellence is the primary goal of the Newton County Schools so that graduates can think critically, solve problems, make good decisions and succeed in the workplace. The education of our youth is the responsibility of the entire community; open communication and involvement are critical elements. Input from the community is welcomed and desired by the board of education and administration. Schools are affected by the values of the community and should seek to influence values in a "positive" way. Programs that are offered to students through the Newton County School system to help prepare them for the work force include:

• Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE) Program. Classes are offered in Business Education, Manufacturing, Family and Consumer Sciences, Agriculture, Drafting, Graphic ARts, Technology, Health Occupations and various work-based programs. Technology Modules include a variety of study areas such as computer-aided drafting, robotics, flight simulation, electricity, electronics, hydraulics, automotive, computerized publishing and bio-technology. 
  
  
• Georgia Youth Apprenticeship Program and the Technical Preparation (Tech Prep) Program. This program offers a systematic mix of training with academic and technical instruction on the secondary and post-secondary levels. Youth Apprenticeship is a combination of school-based work and work-based learning that is used to smooth the transition from school to work. Areas of apprenticeship opportunities include automotive services, industrial-enfineering sites, and banking and finance. 

Georgia Piedmont Technical College
http://www.gptc.edu/

Georgia Work Ready benefits everyone by offering a statewide program that allows all concerned to coordinate their efforts to impove the quality of the Georgia workforce. The Georgia Work Ready Certificate provides a comprehensive measure of foundation skills that contribute to workplace success. The Georgia Work Ready Certificate enables individuals to demonstrate to employers a fitness for employment as well as readiness for increased salaries and promotions. Current works, in addition to unemployed workers, can get a Work Ready Certificate FREE OF CHARGE. Training is provided for individuals working toward better jobs. DeKalb Technical College staff will help you find the right training to increase skills in reading, math, and location information.

Business and Industry training solutions, customized training, and workforce development programs are the heart of DeKalb Tech's business. Programs are available to business, industry and non-profit organizations that are seeking to increase the skill level of their existing employees. The programs are taught at your company or DeKalb Technical College locations and are scheduled to compliment all shifts.

Retraining Tax Credits

One of the Georgia Business Expansion Support Act (BEST) tax incentives, the Retraining Tax Credit allows eligible employers to claim certain costs of retraining employees to use new equipment, new technology, or new operation systems. The credit can be worth 50% of the direct costs of retraining permanent employees up to $500 per employee per approved retraining program per year. The credit cannot be more than 50% of the taxpayer's toal state income tax liability for a tax year. Credit claimed but not used may be carried forward up to 10 years.

Georgia Quick Start 

For more than 40 years, Quick Start has provided customized workforce training free-of-charge to qualified businesses in Georgia. Today, the program is one of the state's key assets for supporting new and expanding industries. Quick Start delivers training in classrooms, mobile labs or directly on the plant floor, wherever it works best for a company. A broad range of areas can be covered by Quick Start; biotech/healthcare, warehousing/distribution, automotive, advanced manufacturing, food/agribusiness and the service industry. For more information on the program, visit Quick Start online at http://www.georgiaquickstart.org.

For more information regarding these programs, call DeKalb Technical College at 770-786-9522.