The Statesboro-Bulloch Chamber of Commerce held the annual State of the Region Address at Ogeechee Technical College on Monday October 21, inviting Chamber members, local leaders and organizations to remember this year's accomplishments and learn about the incredible opportunities of economic development to come.
Terry Harden, emcee for the evening, introduced Grace Shuford from Youth leadership Bulloch, who sang a wonderful rendition of our National Anthem, and Zac McLendon who recited the pledge and a blessing over the evening.
Chamber Board Chair Michelle Davis began the program by welcoming the Chamber members, paying special recognition to attendees from the Youth and Adult Leadership Bulloch Program, Senator Billy Hickman, Representative Lehman Franklin, and Chamber Staff Jennifer Davis, Landon Haralson, Mandy Broadwell and Jeremy Wilburn. She also gave special thanks to the event sponsors and partners, before handing the podium to Keynote Speaker Anna Chafin, president and CEO of Savannah Regional Industry Support Enterprise.
Industry Development Study Reveals New Opportunities
RISE is a workforce development and industry support organization that grew from the needs of the eight counties surrounding the development hub of the Hyundai Metaplant, to identify labor supply challenges in existing industries and to minimize existing and future labor supply shortfalls.
Chafin said that a study commissioned by the Savannah Harbor Interstate 16 Corridor Joint Development Authority, and conducted by Wadley Donovan Gutshaw Consulting, sought to analyze the current market, identify the needs and challenges of regional industries and to create a Strategic Workforce Plan.
The study provided five key takeaways:
- Competitive pay and enhancing employee retention has become increasingly important.
- Future demands will vary annual, but top needs will continue to be technical and production roles.
- Workforce development initiatives must work to draw more high school graduates into industries, including manufacturing.
- Available labor from annual military departures is underutilized.
- The Savannah region has a number of workforce strengths and several challenges.
Challenges that the Strategic Plan will Address:
“Through 2027, we’ve got over 16,000 positions that we need to fill,” Chafin said. “Our goal is to make sure that all of our existing industries in our region have access to the talent that they need in the short and the long term.”
Chafin furthered that it will be important to feed a broader picture of the opportunities available to high school graduates, which includes entering the workforce upon leaving school. She said one of the most revealing findings of the study is the underutilization of the talent pool “Heroes for Hire”.
“They’re cross trained, they’re computer literate, and they have a great work ethic,” Chafin said.
Of the 3,500 annual departing service members only 40% are staying within the region, and similar trends reflect a lack of employment of the military spouse population in local industries.
The consultant identified other barriers to employment as in access to child care and transportation.
The Recruit with Rise Military Hiring Event on October 22 aimed to reach into the under utilized talent pools of military families, and remove some of the barriers to employment by providing childcare for the event.
The Untapped Talent Pipeline event on Thursday will also introduce industries to “Second Chance Hires” or individuals that are justice impacted and overcoming homelessness or addiction.
RISE has now launched quarterly programs where employer groups can network and share best practices so that regional industries can continue to innovate their hiring and retention ideas.
Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America at the State of the Region
“We are building a 100 year relationship. This is not just about today,” Brent Stubbs, Senior Manager/Head of Learning & Development HMGMA.
Stubbs recognized the unprecedented investment of more than $7.5 billion by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solutions into our state, as a match in the company's commitment to investing in the actual community that the companies are now a part of.
“This is Hyundai’s new Moonshot. We’re doing things in this plant we’ve got nowhere else in the world… because this is about creating a new type of plant and work that focuses on human-centered design and ergonomics,” Stubbs said.
Stubbs led the audience through a virtual tour that showcased the natural lighting in the General Assembly sector, team centers and break stations located mere steps away from work areas, state-of-the-art robotics and an optimized manufacturing facility where a car can be assembled in just a day and a half.
One thousand eight hundred solar panel-covered employee parking spaces will be available, and an exhibition hall will soon showcase Hyundai, Kia and Genesis cars.
Along with high school graduates, Hyundai Metaplant is turning to technical college and university graduates to build it's ranks. Already, 15% of the professional staff across the company is made of Georgia Southern University graduates, and Stubbs said that Ogeechee Technical College has been a 'tremendous partner'.
Skilled Workforce
Jan Moore, Vice President for Economic Development at Ogeechee Technical College, was next to present, triumphantly sharing the positive trends of enrollment in technical colleges across the state, citing nearly a 10% increase at OTC.
“Governor Brian Kemp has established several high demand industries where the number of skilled workers in these areas is much lower than what is needed,” Moore said. “Ogeechee Tech has seen a substantial increase in enrollment from academic year 23 to academic year 24. This is a clear indicator that technical education is growing to meet the workforce development needed in this region.
Two of the three new programs at OTC are directly related to the electric vehicle industry, Moore said, applauding the region’s college system for its quick adaptation to meet the needs of development. In a ranking of all 22 schools in the Technical College System of Georgia, Ogeechee Tech has the highest percentage of residents in a service delivery area enrolled.
She then presented drawings of OTC’s new 40,000 square foot Georgia industrial systems and robotics training center, slated to go under construction next month, saying that the new facility will double their current training capacity and will be unlike any other facility on the TCSG.
Professional Talent
Georgia Southern University President Kyle Marrero followed Moore’s speech, presenting similarly optimistic statistics of enrollment, employment and economic impact: 27,506 students, 3,000 faculty and staff, and a record breaking $1.145 billion in regional economic impact.
“We are the only institution in the state of Georgia with Advanced Manufacturing Engineering,” Marrero said. “We’re training our students to design and find solutions to artificial intelligence and robotics, electrical, mechanical, civil building, construction, logistics, and supply chain management.”
Marrero says the next step for the university is to transition from an R2 to an R1 research institution, with GSU on the path to reach the qualifications in the next few academic years. He says not only will this designation improve the universities capabilities to provide research based solutions to complex issues but will add value to the degrees of Georgia Southern graduates.
A New Initiative: BEACON
“Tonight marks an important step forward for our region,” Marrero said. “BEACON represents something special, an opportunity for collaboration and a resource for information that we believe will provide a crucial step in our community as we all seek to create a thriving and sustainable tomorrow.”
BEACON, the Bulloch Engagement and Community Opportunities Network has been launched and will serve as a centralized digital dashboard, transparently providing information about key areas like educational attainment, health and wellness, safety and community initiatives.
The network is bringing together local governments, Georgia Southern University, Ogeechee Technical College, the Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Education, and the Development Authority of Bulloch County, for the common cause of building a better future.
“Our intent is to bring clarity to the work being done, to elevate civic IQ on important issues by providing the facts and ultimately foster a greater sense of understanding and trust as we all grow together,” Marrero said.
Focus Areas of BEACON
- Informing and aligning efforts towards improved infrastructure
- Education and workforce
- Community vibrancy
- Communication
Marrero said that BEACON is about more than just celebrating our growth.
“It's about communicating how these organizations are managing it, giving a voice and a respect to those who have built this community and hopefully a path, a vision for those who will inherit it,” he said.
Awards and Recognitions of the Evening
Stephen Pennington, CEO of East Georgia Regional Medical Center, presented the inaugural Community Connector of the Year award to Grice Connect founder and publisher, DeWayne Grice, who decide to share the honor with Pastor Jonathan Smith and his wife Pastor Stephanie Smith, for their remarkable community efforts during the destruction of Hurricane Debby and Helene. Grice shared some of the story of founding his news platform and recognized the many helping hands that have made connecting the community possible.
The final honors of the evening were given to the recognition of Commissioner Chairman Roy Thompson, and Commissioners Curt Deal and Jappy Stringer, for the acts of services and leadership that have brought prosperity and community bonds to Bulloch County.
"We know you would never want a gift, but instead you would want to make sure our community is taken care of," Jennifer Davis, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce said.
"We're making a $1,000 donation in your honor, to Bulloch County VOAD's Bulloch Strong fund," Davis announced before passing the podium back to Terry Harden. The night ended with more congratulations and a final round of applause.
