Page 10 - Georgia Forestry - Spring 2020

In Georgia last year, more than 37,000 students graduated from the 22 colleges of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), and 99 percent of them are
either gainfully employed in their field or continuing their education. 8
of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), and 99 percent of them are either gainfully employed in their field or continuing their education. 8 The mission of the TCSG is to “[build] a well- educated, globally competitive workforce for Georgia.”9
The National Skills Coalition describes the careers these CTE programs prepare students for as “middle-skill jobs, which require education beyond high school but not a four-year degree.”10 Demand for middle-skill jobs is strong in Georgia, as 55 percent of all jobs in 2015 were mid- dle-skill, and demand for these jobs will remain strong in the coming years.11 The future of Georgia’s forestry industry lies in these middle-skill jobs — operating timber harvesting equipment, driving log trucks, working in pulp and paper or sawmills, and many others throughout the supply chain.
Across our state, there are high-quality technical college programs that are filling the gap for trained employees and oper- ators throughout the forestry industry.
jobs could reach crisis proportions.”4 Between 2018 and 2028, this skills gap may leave unfilled an estimated 2.4 million jobs, and, if it continues to persist, it could risk $2.5 trillion in economic output over the next decade.5
For many looking to begin a career in forestry, a four-year degree doesn’t point them towards their career aspirations and isn’t worth the burdensome stu- dent-loan debt it requires. “For the right candidate,” argues Dave Tomar, chief editor at The Quad, an online magazine geared toward high school and college students, “trade school is more afford- able and more efficient than college, but perhaps more importantly, trade schools
point more directly toward growing job markets...[And] our rising dependence on technology continues to create excellent career opportunities and earning poten- tial for professionals with trade school backgrounds.”6
Trade schools, vocational schools and career and technical education (CTE) all describe “cutting-edge, rigorous and rel- evant education programs [that prepare] youth and adults for high-wage, high-skill, high-demand careers in established and emerging industries.”7 In most cases, these programs provide students with an associ- ate degree, diploma or technical certificate.
In Georgia last year, more than 37,000 students graduated from the 22 colleges
Equipment operators trained in technical schools are critical for developing a future workforce for the logging sector.
1) Bryan Caplan, “The World Might Be Better Off Without College For Everyone,” The Atlantic, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/01/whats-college-good-for/546590/. 2)“ConsumerCredit,”TheFederalReserve,www.federalreserve.gov/releases/g19/HIST/cc_hist_memo_levels.html. 3)DaveTomar,“TradeSchoolsontheRise:IsTrade School Right for You?” The Quad, https://thebestschools.org/magazine/trade-schools-rise-ashes-college-degree. 4) Deloitte Insights and The Manufacturing Institute, “2018 Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute Skills Gap and Future of Work Study,” www.themanufacturinginstitute.org/Research/Skills-Gap-in-Manufacturing/Skills-Gap- in-Manufacturing.aspx. 5) Deloitte Insights and The Manufacturing Institute. 6) Tomar. 7) Association for Career & Technical Education, “CTE Today,” www.acteonline. org/cte-today. 8) Technical College System of Georgia, https://tcsg.edu. 9) Technical College System of Georgia. 10) National Skills Coalition, “Georgia’s Forgotten Middle,” www.nationalskillscoalition.org/resources/publications/2017-middle-skills-fact-sheets/file/Georgia-MiddleSkills.pdf. 11) National Skills Coalition.
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