The Center for Workforce Excellence:

Building a Future-Ready Workforce for Georgia

Man giving a tour to students of a machining lab

Workforce Strategy, Solutions, and Transformation

Georgia’s economy depends on a workforce that can adapt to rapid change. From talent shortages to shifting skill demands, organizations, industry, and communities need coordinated workforce solutions that meet real needs and fill gaps using a data-driven approach.

The Georgia Tech Center for Workforce Excellence delivers data-driven workforce solutions and strategies to help industry, communities, and partners adapt, grow, and lead through workforce transformation. We take a coalition-driven approach, bringing together partners across universities, economic development, and industry to identify challenges, shape strategy, and deliver coordinated, high-impact solutions that drive measurable outcomes.

Workforce Strategy

We work with organizations and regions to develop workforce strategies grounded in data, research, and best practices, ensuring alignment with local, evolving industry needs.

Workforce Solutions

We connect industry, communities, and partners to address real workforce challenges and strengthen talent pipelines.

Workforce Transformation

We drive workforce transformation by scaling proven models and supporting new approaches that modernize work structures and prepare for long-term success.
Start Building a Future-Ready Workforce
Man working in a manufacturing plant

Building Stronger Communities Through Workforce Strategy

Communities across Georgia face unique workforce challenges that impact economic growth, business competitiveness, and quality of life. Local leaders, economic developers, employers, and community partners are working to strengthen their economies, attract investment, and create opportunities for residents. Workforce challenges often stand in the way, and no two communities face the same circumstances. Developing effective solutions requires data-driven insight, broad stakeholder input, and an objective perspective.

The Center for Workforce Excellence draws on the expertise of Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2) and other partners to help communities align priorities, build consensus, and develop workforce strategies that support long-term economic growth. Our research, facilitation, and strategic guidance are all tailored to local needs.

Serving Industry, Communities, and Organizations Across Georgia

Communities & Economic Developers

We support strategies that drive regional growth and economic opportunity. By aligning workforce initiatives with local industry needs, we help communities attract and retain talent to help businesses successfully grow across Georgia.

Industry & Employers

We deliver workforce solutions that strengthen hiring pipelines and align talent with evolving business needs. From identifying skill gaps to connecting employers with the resources they need, we help industry build and sustain a future-ready workforce. 

Public Sector & Workforce Organizations

We work alongside state, regional, workforce, and community partners to improve coordination and expand impact. Through data-driven insights and collaboration, we help strengthen systems and scale what works.

Turning Strategy into Action

We take a practical, step-by-step approach to delivering workforce solutions by helping partners move from identifying challenges to implementing strategies that create measurable impact across Georgia.
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Step 1:
Engage the Right Partners

Connect and collaborate with the right partners to align industry, community, and institutional stakeholders to create coordinated, effective solutions.

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Step 2:
Assess Workforce Needs

Through a coalition-centered approach, we work with industry and our partners to identify talent gaps, workforce challenges, and regional priorities to define critical areas for action.

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Step 3:
Analyze Data & Research

Use labor market insights and applied research to inform workforce strategy and guide decision-making.

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Step 4:
Implement & Scale Solutions

Expand proven workforce solutions across Georgia to drive long-term workforce transformation.

Project Examples

Five members of the Southwest Georgia Rural Workforce Collaborative, including Georgia Tech team members Emily Lasser and Candice McKie.

Southwest Georgia Rural Workforce Collaborative

Workforce challenges vary from community to community, requiring solutions tailored to local needs and opportunities. Through the Southwest Georgia Rural Workforce Collaborative, EI² is partnering with Albany Technical College, SOWEGA Rising, and regional stakeholders to explore innovative approaches that strengthen workforce participation and support economic growth in Southwest Georgia.  

Supported through the Education Design Lab’s Rural Workforce Collaborative initiative, the project is bringing together educators, workforce leaders, employers, and community partners to identify barriers and develop strategies for engaging young adults in high-demand industries such as manufacturing and agriculture. Using research, stakeholder engagement, and collaborative planning, the team is working toward a pilot program that can help build stronger talent pipelines and create new pathways to education, training, and employment. 

iWORKS: Aligning Partners Around Shared Workforce Challenges

Workforce challenges often extend beyond a single employer, school, or community. In Northwest Georgia, industry leaders, economic developers, educators, and workforce organizations came together through iWORKS (Igniting Workforce Opportunities and Reinforcing Knowledge and Skills, to identify shared workforce priorities and develop collaborative solutions. The partnership focused on increasing awareness of manufacturing careers, expanding education and training pathways, and strengthening the employability skills needed for long-term workforce success.

Since its launch, iWORKS has helped drive a range of workforce initiatives across the region, including expanding Project Purpose to nine Northwest Georgia counties, connecting more than 1,300 students to career exploration opportunities through Be Pro Be Proud, coordinating industry tours and career fairs, and delivering leadership development programs and manufacturing-focused training opportunities. The collaborative has also supported second-chance hiring initiatives, provided workforce market intelligence through job posting analyses, and created a lasting framework for regional workforce planning and employer engagement.

Teenager working in a lab as part of iWORKS program
Paul Todd standing in front of the room at the Polk County Jail discussing Project Purpose with five inmates

Project Purpose: Connecting Talent to Opportunity

Project Purpose was initially created to help young adults who were graduating from high school without clear plans for college, technical training, or employment to connect with career opportunities available in their own communities. Developed through the iWORKS partnership, the program originated by Bartow County Chamber of Commerce brought together employers, economic developers, educators, and community leaders to introduce participants to careers in manufacturing, logistics, and other high-demand industries while helping businesses build stronger talent pipelines. The model was intentionally designed to be flexible, allowing each community to tailor the program to its unique workforce needs and available resources.

Today, Project Purpose has evolved to support justice-impacted individuals as they prepare to re-enter the workforce. Working in partnership with local jails, courts, employers, workforce organizations, and community partners, the program provides participants with manufacturing-focused training and OSHA 10 certification through the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) at Georgia Tech and direct connections to employment opportunities. Early results have demonstrated the potential of the model, with program graduates securing employment in manufacturing and logistics roles immediately following release, helping employers address workforce needs while creating pathways to economic stability for participants.

Building on this success, Project Purpose is entering its next phase through support from the Appalachian Regional Commission’s INSPIRE initiative. The program is expanding beyond Polk County into additional communities and exploring new partnerships with drug courts, behavioral health providers, and workforce organizations. By adapting the model to meet the needs of different populations and communities, Project Purpose continues to demonstrate how locally driven workforce solutions can expand opportunity, strengthen talent pipelines, and support long-term economic growth across Georgia.

View a video about Project Purpose on YouTube.

A Statewide Workforce Strategy Powered by Georgia Tech

The Center for Workforce Excellence brings together Georgia Tech’s research, partnerships, and workforce innovation to advance solutions that create measurable impact. 

Rather than duplicating existing programs, The Center strengthens and scales what works, supporting a more coordinated and effective approach to workforce solutions across Georgia. 

Our Partners

Gear icon with a flag on a central shaft, representing settings or configuration
Central hub representing a team: one figure connected to six surrounding figures in a network layout
Clipboard with a three-item checklist and a warning badge indicating alerts or attention needed
Line chart and bar graph showing data trend with a target circle at the end of the line.
Icon with three people an open circle with an arrow at the end representing workforce solutions.
Icon with a person and lightning bolts representing workforce transformation.
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Meet the Team Behind the Center for Workforce Excellence

The Center for Workforce Excellence is housed within Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI²), Georgia Tech’s economic development arm. EI² is a statewide organization dedicated to strengthening Georgia’s economy by driving meaningful impact, supporting businesses and communities, and connecting local innovation to global opportunities. While each team member plays a role in advancing the Center’s mission, they also contribute to one or more EI² programs focused on helping organizations grow, innovate, and succeed. This cross-functional expertise allows us to connect partners with the resources, insights, and solutions needed to build a future-ready workforce.
Candice McKie, CEDR project manager

Candice McKie

Lead, Center for Workforce Excellence
Senior Project Manager, Center for Economic Development Research (CEDR)

Headshot of Clarence Anthony Jr

Clarence Anthony, Jr.

Community Investments Manager, Partnership for Innovation (PIN)

Donna Ennis, co-lead of Georgia AIM

Donna Ennis

Associate Vice President, Community-based Engagement

Leigh Hopkins, iWorks project manager and CEDR senior project manager

Leigh Hopkins

Assistant Director, Center for Economic Development Research (CEDR)

Headshot of Emily Lasser

Emily Lasser

Project Manager, Center for Economic Development Research (CEDR)

Start Building a Future-Ready Workforce

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