Tune in to Kids in Georgia

Challenges Facing Children in Georgia:

Teens not in school or work Georgia must equip youth with the tools they need to succeed not just in school, but also once they enter the workforce.  Georgia ranks 42nd in the nation for the high number of 16-19 year olds not in school and not working.  In today’s highly technical job market, youth must have a strong foundation in quantitative skills and critical thinking.  In addition, many employers place increasing emphasis on the need for “soft skills” in the workplace- disciplines such as work ethic, timeliness, teamwork capabilities, and oral communication are often considered more valuable than specific academic strengths.  These challenges present Georgia with an opportunity to intervene for change.  Increased focus on effective curricula and increased partnership between schools and businesses could keep kids on track to higher education and greater profitability in the labor market.

EARLY/MIDDLE CHILDHOOD (5-12):  Employability of youth in Georgia becomes an issue long before they are old enough to enter the workforce.  The quality and rigor of a curriculum has been shown to play an important role as an indication of student success—even in elementary school.  A study by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation reports that forty-five percent of students who have dropped out of high school attributed their withdrawal to being unprepared by their earlier education. Students who fall behind in elementary and middle school lose ground which they find impossible to make up in high school.  Relevant and engaging curricula help students to grasp the connection between success in schoolwork, and success in their future.

Out of school time is also critical to keep kids engaged in productive, supervised learning activities. In a recent study by ETS, 34% of employers reported that insufficient work experience was the most common reason for not hiring applicants. Yet 2006 saw the lowest rates of teenage employment in 57 years. ^[1]  Increased partnerships between schools and businesses to provide internships or part-time jobs could help many teens to gain the experience they need as well as the structure to help steer them from risky behaviors.

ADOLESCENTS:  HOPE scholarships in Georgia have helped many youth gain access to higher education in both universities and technical schools throughout Georgia.  During the 2004-05 school year, 236,368 students earned HOPE scholarships. This is a huge gain from 1993 when the first HOPE scholarships were awarded: 42,807 that year. ^[2]  Quickstart, a program started by the Department of Technical Adult Education, is working to improve these trends. Last year over 28,000 young adults graduated from a technical training program—17,445 of these students went on to careers in their specific fields.  These initiatives are a great start towards better workforce development in Georgia, but more can and should be done to ensure that our youth are getting the preparation and training they need to be self-sufficient adults empowered in the workforce. 

  ^{[1] ETS, High School Reform and Work: Facing Labor Market Realities
  [2] HOPE Program facts and figures:  https://www.gsfc.org/main/ga411info/hope_facts.cfm?GUID=}