Partnership Creates Education in Enterprise

Teachers in Franklin County are partnering with local businesses in an effort to educate themselves about what kinds of training and experience companies are looking in their workers.

Last week, a group of educators teaching a variety of subjects toured several Franklin County industries.

It’s part of a new initiative between the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, the Franklin County Industrial Building Authority, and the Franklin County Board of Education called “Education in Enterprise.”

“Employers continuously share about the challenges of an unprepared workforce,” said Franklin County Chamber spokesperson Aida Reynolds.  “The Chamber’s Education Committee and Business Committee got together to discuss how they could become involved to help address this issue.  A partnership was formed between the Franklin County Chamber and the Franklin County School System.”  

Lynn Brumby Allen is the director of the Franklin County Industrial Building Authority and led the effort to line up businesses for the initial tour.  

Allen said the initiative is new way to help educators know how best to prepare their students to enter the workforce.

“We discovered that many people, adults and students, don’t really know what goes on inside the companies in our county,” Allen said. “They drive by everyday and have no idea, so our first effort was to get our faculty and administration involved and have them go on the tour.”

Allen said that way, the teachers would have a better idea of the needs of local industries and could adjust their curriculum accordingly. 

During the tour, teachers heard from local employers about the challenges they face hiring workers who are unprepared or untrained.

Among the companies toured was Fanello Industries where teachers were given a handout by Human Resources Director Michelle Maxwell which summarized how subjects taught in school translate to work place.

Other business toured last week included Carry-on Trailer in Lavonia where Utility Plant Manager Toney Couey walked the group through the process of making a trailer from beginning to end.

Couey said their biggest challenge is attendance and employees who fail drug tests.

Finally, educators toured Ty Cobb Regional Medical Center in Lavonia where CEO Greg Hearn spoke about the importance of all healthcare workers having the ability to make good decisions, as well as being able to analyze problems and have good writing skills.

“It was an eye opening and insightful experience for all,” said Reynolds.  “Many of the educators processed the connections and realized how the experience will affect their teaching and ideas going forward.”

Allen said now that the teachers have had a chance to go on the tour, the next step is to begin taking students to area companies.

“We plan to continue it with students and hopefully take it down to the middle school grades,” she said. “The more we can get students and teachers involved in our industries and businesses, the better off everybody will be.”

Allen said she is hoping to begin taking students on tours of local industries in the spring.

Chamber spokesperson Aida Reynolds said the Chamber is looking for more businesses interested in learning more about the Education in Enterprise initiative.

If you are a business or manufacturer in Franklin County who would like to learn more about this project or are interested in participating please contact Aida Reynolds, Director of Chamber Services, at 706-384-4659 or [email protected].

Allen said another set of tours are scheduled for Spring 2014.