Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) sat at a table Monday with Columbus Technical College students, faculty, and community stakeholders to hear a message he said should resonate in Washington: Georgia’s economic growth depends on whether communities can train enough skilled workers to fill the jobs employers are bringing to the state.
Warnock hosted a roundtable discussion about workforce development at Columbus Tech. The discussion focused on the Pathway to Prosperity Act, a bipartisan workforce development bill he introduced with Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.). The proposal aims to strengthen connections between technical and community colleges and employers, so students can have a stronger pipeline to available jobs post-graduation.
“Hearing from you directly gives me input that I need as I go and fight for this in Washington, D.C.,” Warnock said during the roundtable discussion.
Warnock peppered students and representatives from Pratt & Whitney and Columbus Water Works with questions about how Columbus Tech prepares people for in-demand jobs, how they are paying for their programs, and what barriers stand between students, training and stable careers…