GAM Represented at Governor’s Workforce Roundtable
Recently Governor Brian Kemp hosted the 2nd Annual Governor’s Workforce Summit, and as with the inaugural meeting in 2023, GAM was invited to send an executive leader from one of our members companies to speak for manufacturers. GAM Board Member Josh Hall, Vice President of Manufacturing at Engineered Floors, represented our membership. The room was filled with representatives from Georgia's biggest industries, but Hall was the sole manufacturer, and we’re proud of the job he did voicing our needs on this complex issue.
“Josh did a phenomenal job talking about what manufacturers need from a workforce standpoint.”
- Britney Hull, GAM’s VP of Government Affairs.
Hall shared appreciation for the state’s efforts on workforce training with specific appreciation for the Georgia Match program. This program sent 132,000 letters promising high school seniors admission based on their grades and a streamlined application, and undoubtedly contributed to the increase in applications to technical colleges in the state, which Governor Kemp said rose 26% since the program began. While this program will mean more highly skilled workers in the long run, the immediate need for workers must still be addressed.
Through his participation in the roundtable, and a letter submitted to the Governor, Hall shared statistics on manufacturers’ high turnover rates, marked at 56% in 2023. He also explained one of the methods GAM is using to address this – namely, sponsoring four fast-track training cohorts across the state aimed at testing new training programs with six participating members. GAM’s investments also make training more accessible to small and medium-sized manufacturers throughout the state.
“Existing manufacturers in Georgia face an urgent need to fill positions promptly, and waiting one to two years for graduates from relevant credit programs isn’t feasible... GAM stands ready to assist your administration in addressing these immediate workforce challenges.”
- Josh Hall, VP of Manufacturing at Engineered Floors and GAM Board Member, in a letter to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.
Click here to read the full text of Hall's letter to Governor Kemp.