Local businesses attend workforce summit

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)- Business partners along with education and community leaders in middle Georgia are looking for ways to fulfill work place needs.

“Being willing to change, being willing to do things differently, being willing to be more inclusive versus exclusive,” says Environmental Solutions Laura Bocade.

The Macon Economic Development Commission and The Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce held a workforce summit Thursday afternoon for workforce professionals. The purpose of the summit was to share ideas in hopes of making work environments more effective.

This includes training individuals better, people staying on the job longer and helping people transition back to work.

“We can’t just ask the workforce to change to meet our needs as employers or school systems or as governmental agencies,” said Bocade “we really need to change ourselves.”

That change is to ask questions and get feedback from professionals who have experienced situations first hand.

“We have to insure that we know exactly what are the needs you need. As an employer,what is it that we can better do as a state, as a region, as a city, to make sure that we prepare you and to help you prepare your workforce,” says Jamie Jordan, High Demand Career Initiative program manager.

Business leaders say places of employment must get the education and training to prepare them to compete in today’s work force. this collaborative effort aims to fill the gaps.