ATLANTA – State Representative Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates) will serve on the panel for a Town Hall Meeting on Soft Skills in Education on Thursday, August 11, 2011 from 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM. The event will take place at DeKalb Technical College and will provide a unique opportunity for the public to help create an effective set of skill lessons to ensure Georgia students are prepared to achieve success in the workplace.
“Improving our economy and creating jobs for Georgians should be our number one priority,” said Rep. Drenner. “The implementation of an effective soft skills certification will help ensure Georgia students enter the workforce with those vital social and professional skills that are necessary to succeed in the modern workplace. These are the skills that employers look for when hiring, which is why they are so important.”
On May 13, 2011, Governor Nathan Deal signed into law House Bill 186 authorizing the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development (GOWD) to establish certification in soft skills such as punctuality, ability to learn, appropriate business attire, and the ability to work as a team. The certification in soft skills serves to complement the current assessment system utilized in Georgia to assess knowledge in applied math, reading for information, and locating information.
Thursday’s Town Hall Meeting is part of a series of Town Hall Meetings hosted by the GOWD in order to allow stakeholders from across the state to give input on the benefits of soft skills. This series of 31 public town hall meetings allows Georgia’s students, parents, business leaders, and professional educators to be a part of the establishment of a statewide certification in soft skills.
Soft skills training has become one of the most discussed subjects when meeting with various individuals and stakeholders. The Governor’s Office of Workforce Development stakeholders represent students, parents, business leaders and educators.
The meeting will include an overview presentation by GOWD Director Melvin Everson and the Department of Education. Director Everson will take questions and comments from the audience.
Other panelists at Thursday’s meeting will include a representative from the Department of Education, Technical College President, Georgia Department of Labor, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Georgia PTA, local Superintendent of Schools, a Mayor, a Commission Chair, and a State Senator.
For a complete list of all Town Hall Meetings on Soft Skills in Education, please click here.
Representative Karla Drenner represents the citizens of District 86, which includes portions of DeKalb County. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2000, and currently serves on the Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications, Health & Human Services, Natural Resources & Environment, and Rules committees. She also serves on the Special Committee on Small Business Development and Job Creation.
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