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Cobb County touts $8 million-plus workforce push, opens Mableton center
Summary
Chairwoman Lisa Cupid highlighted more than $8 million in county workforce investments, including paid internships and new training sites such as a workforce center in Mableton, saying the efforts aim to boost job access and small-business participation.
Chairwoman Lisa Cupid announced Wednesday that Cobb County is directing more than $8 million to workforce initiatives, including $3.1 million for paid internships and a multi-million-dollar workforce center in Mableton intended to anchor talent development and entrepreneurship.
At the county’s state-of-the-county address, Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said the investments are meant to expand job pathways and support small businesses. “Economic development is not just about growth. It’s about resilience,” Cupid said. She identified a $1,000,000 investment to create a workforce development access point and cited roughly $4 million allocated to launch the Cobb Workforce Center in Mableton.
Cupid said the county’s programs are already creating placements for young people: the paid-internship funding is “on track for more than 650 youth for 2025.” The county’s economic development work also included $48,500 in innovation grants for small businesses and a first-of-its-kind disparity study intended to increase contracting opportunities for minority-, women-, and service-disabled-veteran–owned firms.
County officials credited partnerships with CobbWorks, the county’s development authority, local universities and business groups for helping place companies and grow the local workforce. Cupid said the new initiatives aim to deliver advanced-technology training and startup supports to neighborhoods that have seen less investment.
The chairwoman did not announce a new ordinance, vote, or timeline for full implementation; she described investments already made and said county staff will continue to operationalize the centers and programs. Commissioners recognized for supporting these projects included Commissioner Sheffield and Commissioner Eric Allen, both of whom Cupid acknowledged during the address.
