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Regional workforce group RISE says Savannah-area hiring will outpace local labor without targeted retention and training
Summary
Anna Chaffin, president and CEO of RISE, presented a regional workforce study to the Statesboro City Council on Jan. 28, 2025, warning that projected job growth tied to the Hyundai facility and suppliers will exceed available local workers and urging measures on pay, retention, education and support services.
Anna Chaffin, president and chief executive officer of RISE, told the Statesboro City Council on Jan. 28 that the Savannah region is likely to face a persistent shortage of workers for technical and production jobs unless local leaders and employers act on a recent workforce study.
The study, commissioned after Hyundai announced a large manufacturing investment in Bryan County, modeled a one‑hour commute shed around the Hyundai site and projected the region would need more than 16,000 workers in its 10 most in‑demand jobs through 2027. “Our goal is to be the key facilitator of regional workforce development and industry support services within our eight‑county region,” Chaffin said.
The study’s top takeaways, Chaffin told council, included: employers must compete with higher pay and improved retention strategies; the primary near‑term openings will be technical and production roles; the region must do more to steer high‑school students into manufacturing and other career pathways; veterans and military spouses are an underused talent pool; and housing, child care and transportation gaps limit the available workforce.
Chaffin described the study process and participants, saying consultants Wadley Donovan & Gustaw (sic) were hired after input from development authorities, Georgia Power, Gulfstream and the Georgia Ports Authority. She said the study combined a 93‑question employer survey, one‑on‑one interviews and stakeholder meetings with K‑12 and higher‑education partners to develop a strategic workforce plan and a list of recommended initiatives.
Chaffin highlighted several workforce initiatives RISE has organized from the study findings: a military‑veteran working group to improve retention of separating service members and their spouses; an “underrepresented” talent workstream to connect second‑chance hires and opportunity youth with employers; education workgroups split into two subgroups for K‑12 and higher education; a regional transportation demand survey; and a new child‑care working group supported by a Georgia Southern University study funded by Norfolk Southern. She said the group currently serves eight counties: Bryan, Bulloch, Candler, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Liberty and Screven.
Chaffin said RISE is in the process of establishing a 501(c)(6) operating entity governed by participating development authorities and that the organization plans to share the study’s executive summary with local officials. She said the consultants’ projection that the region could exhaust its pool of underemployed workers by 2025 represented a call to action but noted that RISE’s creation and local initiatives aim to change that forecast.
The presentation closed with an offer to provide the executive summary and additional materials to council members and staff.
