Project Purpose returns for its third year with the goal of connecting students and industries.
Project Purpose, a multi-pronged workforce development program started in 2021 as a joint effort between the Development Authority and Chamber of Commerce, supported by United Way of Colquitt County, continues to grow through strategic partnerships with area employers and schools.
The 2022-2023 program will kick off in September and continue throughout the upcoming school year.
In May, over 150 Colquitt County High School (CCHS) students participated in Project Purpose’s Exploration Day job fair.
The event attracted 35 companies to the high school for a casual, interactive experience complete with private on-site interview space. Two students were hired on the spot and two others were hired in the weeks that followed the job fair.
Pat Grogan, owner and operator of Friends & Co. Daycare, was pleased to find an enthusiastic staff member to add to her team, as was Randy Lewis from Eagle Craft Door, Inc. Sanaha Kinsey and Nathan Taylor both interviewed at the event and left with job offers.
Electrical construction company A. West also connected with two students at the job fair, Aaron Carter, and Jordan Hudson, who soon after became employees.
“This was a great way for me to find workers,” says Grogan. “The students I talked to were well-prepared with resumes, and they knew what they were interested in doing after graduation. It was just a matter of giving them an easy opportunity to connect with potential employers like me.”
That preparation pays off, and the Development Authority and school system tackled the topic of interview preparation early-on in the Project Purpose curriculum. Prior to the May job fair, 8 students were hand-selected by CCHS teachers and administrators to join the 2022 Project Purpose Boot Camp.
Two Boot Camp tracks designed for fast-paced preparation, credentialing, and interviewing gave students a real-world taste of the hiring process.
In addition to gaining interview and resume-writing skills, Boot Camp participants on the manufacturing track also left with basic industrial systems, OSHA and forklift certifications, and those on the hospitality track gained customer service training and ServSafe certification – all led by Southern Regional Technical College’s (SRTC) economic development department.
Planning is already well underway for 2022-2023 Project Purpose programs. All CCHS teachers will receive information about Project Purpose at their back-to-school faculty meeting later this summer, and dates are already set throughout the Fall and early Spring semesters.
- Regional Industry Immersion Tour (for faculty) – September 29 & 30
- Senior Day at SRTC (student tours and industry fair) – November 17
- Local Industry Immersion Tour (for new faculty) – March 23, 2023
- Boot Camp – Spring 2023
- Exploration Day Job Fair – Spring 2023
CCHS students interested in participating in any aspect of Project Purpose should reach out to their guidance counselor when school starts back.
Businesses interested in participating or becoming a Project Purpose sponsor, may contact Barbara Grogan at bgrogan@selectmoultrie.com or (229) 921-1457. More information may also be found at www.ProjectPurposeGA.com.