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eather Meeks, an information systems student at Valdosta Technical College, has firsthand experience with shoddy work ethics. During a recent shopping trip, she went unnoticed by a store clerk, who was chatting on the phone and didn’t even acknowledge her presence.

Meeks was taken aback. “It bothers me when I go somewhere and don’t see good work ethics,” she says. “It’s just the simple things, like being on time and being friendly. You are representing your company.”

All 34 Georgia technical colleges incorporate a Work Ethics program into every course, every week, every quarter. Teachers review important traits such as attendance, appropriate dress, respect and attitude.

“Employers tell us over and over again that a primary need of theirs is employees who possess good work ethics,” says Valdosta Tech President James Bridges, who helped lead the early development of the Work Ethics program.

The DTAE state board adopted the work ethics concept to be taught at all technical colleges in the early 1990s, Bridges recalls. “In about 1997, Dr. Breeden asked the presidents and faculties of East Central Tech, Southeastern Tech and Valdosta Tech to enhance the Work Ethics program,” he says. The current program, which debuted in Fall 1999, was enhanced with teacher-led student activities and a standardized curriculum and evaluation system.

The success of the Work Ethics program has sparked interest across the country. “We have presented this program nationwide at numerous technical colleges and high schools,” says Dr. Diane Harper, president of East Central Technical College.

The Work Ethics program centers on 10 key traits: attendance, character, teamwork, appearance, attitude, productivity, organization, communication, cooperation and respect. For each week of the 10-week quarter, teachers must spend time talking about one trait. Teaching methods include discussion, role-playing, case studies and team-building exercises.

“Luckily, they are not just reading from a piece of paper,” Meeks says. “I’ve had a couple of teachers take a whole class period and talk strictly about work ethics and open the floor to discussion.”

Meeks’ favorite team-building activity required students to tape a piece of paper to their backs. “People walked around and would write a compliment on the paper,” she explains. “Even if they didn’t like you, they still had to write a compliment. It was a way of [learning to] just say the good, not the bad.”

At the end of the quarter, students receive a separate grade in work ethics, which is recorded on student transcripts. Employers are encouraged to review the transcripts. Once a student graduates and obtains a job, the technical college contacts the new employer. “We have geared this follow-up to our work ethics evaluation form, listing the 10 traits,” says Gwen Riggins, director of instruction at East Central Tech.

Southeastern Technical College President Dr. Cathryn Meehan says, “This will give our students the skills they need to successfully compete in the workforce and give our employers the skilled employees they need to make their businesses prosper.“

For industry representatives, the need for work ethics training is painfully clear. A recent study by the National Association of Manufacturers cited a dire lack of workforce readiness skills such as “showing up on time, staying all day, listening to the team and working with the team,” says Phyllis Eisen, vice president of NAM’s Manufacturing Institute. “Almost 70 percent of our members said the lack of workforce readiness is one of their biggest barriers to growth and one of their biggest problems.”

Some Georgia business leaders have witnessed a growing problem with work ethics among younger employees. They praise the Work Ethics program for addressing the issue before the student enters the workforce, thereby grooming strong employees.

Allen Rice, president of Savannah Luggage Works in Vidalia, says too many young people get a new job and want to start at the top. “The problem is they don’t want to pay the price,” he says. “We live in a worldwide economy, in a very competitive situation with the rest of the world. You can’t run a company if people aren’t willing to work and care about their jobs.”

Tom Stalvey graduated from Valdosta Tech in the 1960s and founded Ace Electric Co. Today, he hires many Valdosta Tech grads to join his 180-employee company. The Work Ethics program helps shape students’ attitudes, Stalvey says, “so when they come to work, they are eager to please their employer.”

For Marshall Conner, Georgia Power Co.’s South Region external manager, a lack of work ethics “is obviously a huge problem.” Conner is part of an industry-led group that studies workforce preparedness in the Valdosta area. The group is developing a presentation with plans to visit 10th-grade high school students and talk about work ethics. The presentation features the same 10 traits that are taught in the technical colleges. “Valdosta Tech was very helpful,” he says.

In today’s ever-changing economy, students must blend technical knowledge with solid character as they prepare for successful careers. “Preparation includes the development of not only technical skills but also those critical interpersonal skills in order to be a well-rounded, sought-after employee,” says Dr. Ruth Nichols, president of North Georgia Technical College.

Dawn Adams, North Georgia Tech librarian and Work Ethics coordinator, says, “I see work ethics as guidelines to good life skills in the workplace. Knowing how to be a good employee is sometimes more important than the technical skills one brings to the job.”

Students recognize that the basic tenets of the Work Ethics program can enhance their lives beyond the office door. Susan Medley, a CIS-Web Design student at North Georgia Tech, says, “The values discussed in Work Ethics should be not just for the workplace, but a part of all your life.”