Media

June 2023

On June 20, the Gainesville-Hall Development Authority awarded $15,000 to each company for their participation in the Apprenticeship Model (APP101). ElringKlinger, IMS Gear and Voyant Beauty are the most recent recipients of this apprenticeship reward. Each company has an existing employee that accepted the challenge of a 2-year Apprenticeships whereby the apprentice works full time with structured on-the-job training and while attending related technical training at Lanier Technical College. Upon completion these apprentices are promoted, are compensated for their increased value to the company, and receive US Department of Labor certification. The ARC grant, awarded through the Development Authority, applies to Industrial Maintenance, Machinist, and Quality Technician apprenticeships.

“We have seen the benefits of putting our employees through these apprenticeship programs, and with this funding we are grateful that we can start more,” said Tobias Martin, IMS Gear. “There is always the possibility that the people we put our efforts into may end up leaving us. At the end of the day though, we believe that if we show our employees we care about their growth within our company the idea of leaving won’t cross their minds.”

May 2023

On May 23, 2023, we celebrated graduates of the inaugural Supervisor and Industry Leadership (SAIL) class at Lanier Technical College! The graduates are as follows:

Tim McDonald, President, Lanier Technical College (pictured left) spoke at the graduation, heard from participants about their experience, and presented each their certificate.

Graduates, Front (Left to Right)

Ciana Means, King’s Hawaiian Bakery, Hall County
Khaleel Alware, Specialty Appliances, Forsyth County
Brian Smith, ATEX, Hall County

Graduates, Back (Left to Right)

Cristina Rodriguez, ALBA Form Inc., Hall County
Jonathan Sullens, Cantrell- Gainco Group, Hall County
Joshua Nowak, Jtekt North America, Lumpkin County
William “Tony” Akright, ATEX, Hall County
Derick Story, Jtekt North America, Lumpkin County
Garrett Douthitt, Bio-Techne dba Atlanta Biologicals, Hall County

Shelley Logan and Greg Vitek, Business Partners, Workforce Strategies Group LLC (pictured right) instructed as subject-matter experts along with Janet Cantrell, Regional Human Resources Director, Sherwin-Williams (not pictured). The training is hosted by and located at Lanier Technical College.

“Supervisors are the company to the employee on their team,” said Greg Vitek, Workforce Strategies Group LLC. “These supervisors are now more prepared to take on that role with confidence and leadership.”

The Georgia Mountains Works MFG Sector Employer Partnership designed the training to include competencies in Problem Solving, Communicating for Results, Emotional Intelligence, Continuous Improvement, HR Do’s & Don’ts, Performance Management, Safety Focus, and Leading Meetings. Learning and knowing is more valuable than just a manual or multi-hour class. The graduates are more prepared because the training was 48 hours spread out over 12 weeks giving them ample opportunity to apply what they learned.

We loved getting the opportunity to share this knowledge with others in order to help build better workplace culture and communication skills. Congratulations to everyone!

February 2023

Quality Tech APP101 – 1^st Cohort Graduates

1^st Cohort in a 2 Year USDOL Apprenticeship from 4 MFG Sector Employers representing 3 counties
in the Georgia Mountains Sector that each had a mentor, 4 mentors, now have 4 Graduates

On February 2, 2023, the first 4 graduated at USDOL Registered Quality Control Technicians:

Cristy Norris, Murray Plastics – Gainesville GA
Shaprelle Gunnells, IMS Gear – Gainesville GA
Bee Yang, Tsubaki-Nakashima – Cumming GA
Gaspar Pedro Gomez, Freudenberg NOK – Cleveland, GA

Each apprentice participated in 300 hours of instruction at Lanier Technical College. Each apprentice had a mentor at their company to walk through 4,000 hours of structured on-the-job training. Some of the competencies included QI Macros, Machine Tool Math, Continuous Improvement (5 Why, Flowchart, FMEA), Measurement (Calipers, CMM, GageRR), QC Techniques (Ppk-Cpk, SPC), Lean, and Safety.

Learning and applying is valuable and being able to communicate what you’ve learned with customers, fellow employees and upper management in a report or persuasive way is even more valuable. When the Georgia Mountains MFG Sector Employers designed the apprenticeship, they wisely included employability and communication skills in addition to QC specifics. The two-years culminated at graduation with the presentation of their capstone using the tools they learned and applied to a company-specific project and presented to company and college leadership.

December 2019

Funding Secured for Work Based Learning Initiative

December 23, 2019 – The Gainesville and Hall County Development Authority (GHCDA) was presented a check from the Appalachian Regional Commission to fund the Apprenticeship 101 program, a new initiative developed by the Greater Hall Chamber’s Workforce Development Task Force and Lanier Technical College.

Annaka Woodruff, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, stated “The Appalachian Regional Commission and the State of Georgia, under the direction of Governor Brian Kemp, are committed to empowering the citizens of Appalachia. This project touches the lives of employees and their families and can have a ripple effect across the economy of Hall County and beyond.”

Apprenticeship 101 supports small manufacturers in creating a skilled and competitive workforce. Through paid apprenticeships, the program will address the increasing skills gap and grow a broader regional workforce. Shelley Davis, former Chamber Vice President of Existing Industry, has formed a new company with Greg Vitek, former president of IMS Gear Georgia. Workforce Strategies Group LLC will spearhead this effort as well as collaborate with students, educational professionals, communities and employers to realize a skilled workforce in the 13-county Northeast Georgia region. Career paths, technical dual enrollments, and Work Based Learning coupled with paid apprenticeships lead to high demand career opportunities.

October 2022

October 15, 2022 – The US Chamber of Commerce Foundation certifies the completion of the Talent Pipeline Managment Academy by Shelley Logan, Workforce Strategies Group LLC. Strategies completed included Employer Collaboration, Critical Job Demand, Align Job Requirements, Talent Supply Analyzation, Building Talent Supply Chains, and Resiliency Planning.

October 2022

_{MFG Employer Partnership Members pictured representing: Workforce Strategies Group LLC, Ranger Manufacturing, American Yazaki Corporation, Haering Precision USA, Automation Direct, WorkSource Georgia Mountains, ASI Southeast.}
ASI-Southeast, the number one manufacturer of bathroom partitions in the world, hosted a tour for the Region 2 MFG Sector Employer Partnership in Stephens County. ASI has 400 employees in Georgia and 105 employees located at this Southeast HQ. They prioritize the Workforce Development Pipeline by employing 11 Work Based Learning (WBL) students, six apprentices, and offer their team members 40 hours each of Employee Development Training per year. These solutions answer problems like developing team member character, staffing second shift, and reducing the skills gap specifically in CNC, Robotics, and Maintenance. Manufacturing Manager Stephen Wallace shared his beliefs about the ASI team by saying “My job is providing an atmosphere comfortable enough for them to share their ideas and giving them the tools to make it happen.”

October 2022

**Over 700 High School Students Participate in Manufacturing Day 2022 #MFGDay22**

WorkSource Georgia Mountains (WSGM) celebrated National Manufacturing Day on October 6, 2022, to raise awareness about advanced manufacturing careers and prepare the next generation workforce for the future. In the Georgia Mountains region, 23 manufacturing employers offered tours during the month to over 700 students in the local school systems including Dawson, Forsyth, Hall, Lumpkin, Stephens, Union, Gainesville City, and Mountain Education School Systems.

ABB Motors and Mechanical Inc., Flowery Branch, GA – Electric Motors
Advanced Digital Cable, Blairsville, GA – Wires and Cabels
*ASI Southeast Inc, Eastanollee, GA – Commercial Partitions
*Barbe America, Flowery Branch, GA – Antiadhesives
Fox Factory, Gainesville, GA – Performance Defining Systems
GAF Materials Corp., Cumming, GA – Roofing Materials
Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network, Gainesville, GA – Poultry Related Diagnostics
Haering Precision USA, Lavonia, GA – Automotive Precision Parts
*Harris Products Group, Gainesville, GA – Gas Apparatuses
Hawg Halters, Dahlonega, GA – Motorcycle Parts and Accessories
IMS Gear Georgia Inc., Gainesville, GA – Gears, Housing and Assemblies
Kubota Manufacturing of America Corp, Gainesville, GA – Tractors and RTV’s
*LG-MRI, Alpharetta, GA – Outdoor Digital Displays
Mencom Corporation, Oakwood, GA – Electrical Connectors
*Patterson Pump, Toccoa, GA – Pumps
Performance Foodservice, Oakwood, GA – Food Distribution
*PPG Industries, Oakwood, GA – Latex Paint
*Siemens Automotive, Alpharetta, GA – Automotive
Solvay Specialty Polymers USA LLC, Alpharetta, GA – Polymers
Specialty Appliances, Cumming, GA – Orthodontic Laboratory
Steel Tech Industries LLC, Gainesville GA – Fabricated Structural Metal
StruXure Outdoors, Dahlonega, GA – Outdoor Products
Swagelok Georgia, Alpharetta, GA – Fluid Systems
Wahoo Docks, Dahlonega, GA – Aluminum Docks
ZF Gainesville LLC, Gainesville, GA – Automotive and Industrial
*Pictured.

Manufacturing is #1 in Industrial Employment in the area with an average salary of over $55,000/year. The region’s high schools offer career pathways in Drafting & Design, Electrical, Logistics, Machine Operations, Manufacturing, Mechatronics, Metal Fabrication, Robotics, Technical Systems, Welding, and Engineering & Technology all of which can lead to careers in manufacturing.

Georgia Mountains Region:
MFG is #1 in Industry Employment (16.4%) (1Q22)
MFG $26.75 Average Hourly Wage (1Q22)
2.7% Unemployment (Aug 2022)

WSGM and Workforce Strategies Group, LLC, created the Manufacturing (MFG) Sector Strategy to collaborate with area stakeholders to align education and workforce training programs with the needs of manufacturing businesses. WSGM, under Georgia Mountains Regional Commission, administers the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funds which encourages sector strategies and partnerships.

rptWIA (ga.gov)

WorkSource Georgia Mountains Region 2 includes the following counties: Banks, Dawson, Franklin, Forsyth, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, and White.