There are 221,000 people in the Augusta area that are of working age but are not currently employed and are not seeking employment. Statewide, that number is closer to 3.3 million.
How do we convince these individuals to join the workforce? We can start by addressing barriers to employment and increasing access to good paying jobs. This is the goal of our work as a Biden-Harris Workforce Hub city.
In October, the Office of the Mayor partnered with the Biden-Harris Administration, the United Way of the CSRA, the Community Foundation of the CSRA, and Lyft to launch a pilot program to provide transportation to-and-from the workplace, job interviews, and workforce training. We booked 6,667 rides, the equivalent of $200,000.
Mr. Thomas is one of the people who benefitted from this program. He called United Way 2-1-1 to request a Lyft ride to a job interview at a local manufacturing facility. He received the ride and was offered a job. Mr. Thomas continued to utilize the Lyft program and is now saving up to buy his own car.
Augusta Transit is also focused on improving transportation access. Last year, they received a $300,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration to explore micro-transit services in south Augusta with a specific focus on improving access to jobs, grocery stores and educational opportunities as well as health outcomes and environmental quality.
Earlier this month, Augusta Transit announced a $12 million grant award for the purchase of electric buses. This grant, together with a local match of $2 million, will allow Augusta Transit to replace and upgrade aging buses and strengthen workforce development.
Childcare represents another barrier to employment. It is estimated that Georgia loses approximately $3.6 billion per year in wages, business revenue and tax collection to childcare shortfalls for children under the age of 3.
Last month, we joined the Georgia Municipal Association Child Care Accelerator Program. This program provides us the opportunity to work with a cohort of four cities to better understand ways we can facilitate expansion and improvement of childcare supply.
As our children learn and grow, we also want to provide the same opportunity for adults who have been incarcerated. Augusta Technical College, one of our hub anchor partners, is expanding its partnership with the Augusta District Attorney’s Office and Richmond County Correctional Facility to provide skilled trades training for more than three dozen people in incarceration facilities. This is in addition to the Augusta Judicial Circuit Second Chance Desk which helps citizens clear their criminal records.
Opportunities for the recently incarcerated, and for all the Georgians, have only increased since Augusta’s designation as one of five Biden-Harris Administration Workforce Hubs. This initiative, in partnership with the Department of Energy, has led to job creation, increased investment in Augusta-Richmond County, and is positioning our city to become the nation’s advanced energy capital.
Since this designation was announced, we have facilitated commitments from manufacturing giants including Aurubis Richmond LLC, Syensqo, the Savannah River Site, and The Battelle Savannah River Alliance.
Syensqo received a $178 million grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law from the Department of Energy to build a new battery manufacturing plant, for a total supply chain investment of $850 million. They’ve also invested $1 million to support local workforce development.
Aurubis Richmond LLC invested $700 million in Augusta and has committed to supporting 200 good-quality jobs and investing more than $200,000 in scholarships and job training programs.
Savannah River Site (SRS) will double the size of its youth apprenticeship program, as well as expand its “SRS Introduce a Girl to Engineering” program by 25 percent. The Battelle Savannah River Alliance, which operates the Savannah River National Laboratory, is investing $125,000 to create K-12 Catalyst STEM Grants.
Our hub anchor partners, Augusta Technical College, Aiken Technical College, and the Richmond County School System are also expanding training opportunities and partnering with United Association Local 150 Plumbers and Steamfitters and the Augusta Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents 22 local skilled trades and unions across 17 trades, to create apprenticeship programs.
Barriers to education and access to well-paying jobs has always been a need in our region, but the Biden-Harris Administration Workforce Hub initiative shines a spotlight on this need and has allowed us to come together as a region.
The Workforce Hub is not the only designation we’ve received from the Biden-Harris Administration, though. In October, Augusta-Richmond County was designated as a “Tech Hub,” a program established by the Bipartisan “CHIPS and Science Act” to strengthen American energy security and create jobs in key industries of the future.
This designation allows Augusta to continue to sit at the forefront of the technology industry and will strengthen Augusta as one of our nation’s cyber security capitals, and also allows us, again, to reach across the river and partner with our neighbors.
Last week, U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff announced a $45 million federal investment to support the Tech Hub’s coalition. Six tech hub projects will receive federal funding. Locally, Savannah River National Laboratory was awarded $9,995,816 for a “Grid Enabled Cyber Operations Range.” This project will establish a cyber testing range for grid connected equipment, with both grid operator training and equipment testing benefits. I am ecstatic about this investment in the CSRA and the impact it will have in Augusta-Richmond County.
As we continue to address barriers and create access to high-paying jobs, I remain thankful for the support of the Biden-Harris Administration.
I am also thankful for bipartisan collaboration on the federal, state, and local levels. Senators Ossoff and Warnock, Governor Brian Kemp, our legislative delegation, my colleagues on the Augusta Commission, and the Georgia Department of Economic Development have been key to our efforts.
Together, we can ensure more people have access to good paying jobs that help them support their families. Together, we can ensure Augusta residents have access to transportation, childcare, and skills training. We must remember we are always stronger together, and, together, we can move Augusta, and the region, forward.
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