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A year ago, Rod Godfrey, Training Coordinator for Gwinnett County Public Utilities, contacted Gwinnett Technical Institute. Due to changes in the industry, the county had to demand more stringent requirements from its employees. The state required a high school diploma, GED, or high school equivalency degree in order to take the state licensing exam for the industry. They were already having a problem finding qualified entry level employees with adequate skills to fill open positions, so Rod felt strongly that the county needed to invest in its long-time, local employees that needed to obtain a GED. Because of the new state requirements, a few employees were facing the possibility of demotion if they did not get their GEDs, while others would become ineligible for advancement. In response to the changing environment, Rod asked Gwinnett Technical Institute in Lawrenceville to start an on-site GED preparation class. The class began meeting with employees twice a week for two hours per session on-site during work hours. Pam Harris, the instructor, stated that almost all of the students pre-tested below an eighth-grade reading level. Since then, their reading has improved, and all have shown significant progress. As of December, three have completed the GED, one has passed four of the five parts, and the remaining seven have passed every test they have attempted. However, as in many literacy classes, attendance began to drop during the summer. Rod decided that classes would stop at the end of August, and he would consider restarting them in January. He was still committed to the program, but he encouraged students to continue learning on their own. A few days after notifying them of this, Rod was overwhelmed by the response from employees, as well as supervisors, protesting this change. The large number of requests to continue the program convinced him to restart the program immediately. Rod Godfrey and the county are to be congratulated for investing in their employees. Additionally, congratulations should be extended to Pam Harris for dedication to the students and to the employees for their continued commitment toward obtaining their GEDs.
Dawn Torcivia |  Rod Godfrey |
| Table of Contents |
From the Desk of the Assistant Commissioner Spotlight on Workplace Programs | 1998 Workforce Conference Thomaston Mills Presents PowerPoint | Gwinnett County Invests in its Employees Southcorp Packaging | GED: Looking at the Options | Profile in Self-Sufficiency |