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Economic development staff outlines workforce program, small-business consulting and event plans
Summary
Economic development staff reported March 13 on new workforce and small-business partnerships, a community event and a planned racial-equity training, and asked the URA for feedback on program logistics.
Forest Park economic development staff reported March 13 that the city is partnering with several regional organizations on workforce and small-business initiatives and outlined upcoming community events and training.
Rick, representing the economic development office, said the city has a partnership with the Small Business Development Center at Clayton State and hosted small-business consulting hours the previous Monday with another session scheduled for the coming Monday. He said staff will provide sign-up information to interested residents and entrepreneurs.
Rick described an "Elevate Workforce Development" partnership with Clayton State, Clayton County Public Schools, Atlanta Technical College and the Atlanta Center for Self Sufficiency to provide job training and placement support. He said the Atlanta Center for Self Sufficiency will provide training (resume help and job skills) and act as a conduit to place individuals with local employers; the program will start as a cohort of 15 to 20 individuals from local service providers including Calvary Refuge (a shelter partner) with the intent to expand later to other residents. Rick said employers such as Georgia Power and Clorox have expressed interest in hiring program participants.
He also announced a St. Patrick's Day event scheduled for the following day from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., including family activities and prizes, and noted possible downtown mixed-use development in preliminary stages. Staff also described a planned racial-equity training to be delivered by Southern Equity and discussed two possible Saturday dates (March 22 or March 29), with the board indicating a preference for March 29 and in-person delivery from about 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Board members asked clarifying questions about the workforce program's eligibility and the shelter residents'housing status; staff said the initial cohort is a test case and that some participants may later become city residents if housing options are available. Staff said the program is intended to be a pilot that can expand to additional residents over time.
No formal action was taken; staff asked the board for feedback on program details and training logistics and said they would circulate signup information for the SBDC consulting hours.
