The Georgia Department of Education, in partnership with the Georgia Economic Developers Association (GEDA) and Georgia Power, has selected four school districts to receive the Economic Development Partnership (EDP) designation for FY23.
This year’s Economic Development Partnership designated districts are: Dawson County Schools, Dublin City Schools, Gordon County Schools, and the Liberty County School System. The designation is part of Georgia’s Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE) program.
“Schools are an essential part of the community and carry the core responsibility of preparing students for their future careers and lives,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods. “This year’s Economic Development Partnership schools have worked hard to ensure they have the practices in place to become key partners in local economic development and equip students for successful futures. I offer my congratulations to each of these schools and their communities, and look forward to the impact they’ll continue to have on our state.”
Districts receiving the EDP designation participated in a certification process which prepared them to adopt best practices and behaviors that support economic development and align education with key regional industries. The EDP program elevates the capacity of school systems to serve as an essential part of the community in business recruitment and a catalyst for talent development. For students, EDP promotes increased Work-Based Learning and Youth Apprenticeship opportunities, additional exposure to local business and industry, and career-relevant classroom content.
“These school systems contribute to the economic development efforts of their community by cultivating a strong workforce development ecosystem through strategic career-related opportunities for students, high-level stakeholder engagement practices, and operating energized CTAE programs,” said Dr. Barbara Wall, GaDOE Deputy Superintendent for Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education. “This designation certifies that the school system in these four communities is at the center of local workforce development activities. Statewide, we are committed to doing our part to ensure Georgia remains the number-one state for doing business.”
CTAE leaders in each EDP-designated district, along with community stakeholders, worked closely with the EDP team over the course of FY23 through a series of virtual meetings, a site visit, and required documentation submission. The designees represent four different state economic development regions (Regions 1, 2, 9, and 12), displaying GaDOE CTAE’s efforts to build the future talent pipeline of Georgia statewide.
Five school systems have been accepted into the EDP process for FY24: Cartersville City Schools, Peach County Schools, Social Circle City Schools, Twiggs County Public Schools, and Ware County Schools. Bibb County School District, an FY23 EDP district, is continuing in the process to achieve the designation for FY24.
