Workforce Programs & Training
The Development Authority of DeKalb County is dedicated to encourage job growth and sustainable real estate growth. Our programs reach out to employers to increase worker productivity, employee retention, and improve the work-life balance. DeKalb County seeks to encourage employees to live, work, and play in DeKalb County.
Quick Start - DeKalb has the number-one workforce training program in the country, Quick Start, which develops and delivers fully customized, strategic workforce solutions for qualified companies investing in Georgia. Quick Start helps companies assess, select and train the right people at the right time for success. Services are provided free of charge as a discretionary incentive for job creation for companies opening or expanding manufacturing operations, distribution centers, headquarters operations and customer contact centers in a broad range of industries.
Workforce Housing - The county boasts a strong workforce of young, well-educated workers, and continues to build on this human resource through relationships with a successful workforce training programs. As an advocate for quality housing for all DeKalb citizens the DADC is committed to providing any combination of leadership, facilitation, and promotion of businesses that provide jobs. One of our supporting programs are the “DeKalb Workforce Housing program” designed to encourage job growth and sustainable real estate growth. The program reaches out to employers to increase worker productivity, employee retention, and improve the work-life balance.
DeKalb Workforce Development (DWD) is a County department funded by the U. S. Department of Labor (USDOL) through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998. The organization is designed to carry out the day-to-day administrative and operational duties of the DeKalb One-Stop System governed by a Workforce Investment Board. DeKalb Workforce Development emphasizes growth and development and the importance of contributing to the economic health of DeKalb County and the State of Georgia. It is DWD’s mission through strategic planning and preparation to bridge the gap between Education, Employment and Economic Development, known as our E3 business strategy. This recognized concept of strategic alignment is to impress upon both businesses and job seekers the cyclical nature of economic development as it relates to workforce development. DeKalb Workforce Development approaches every program design with efforts to enhance and improve its E3 initiative by aligning partnerships. The partnerships begin with working closely with the DeKalb Development Authority and DeKalb Chamber of Commerce. These efforts necessitate effective communication of projections, forecasting, promoting lifelong learning for high demand occupations, recruitment, and occupational trends.
To achieve this goal DeKalb Workforce Development’s Business Relations Unit works with the business employer to understand their human capital needs. The purpose of the Business Relations Unit (BRU) is to forge strong business/employer relationships that bring the appropriate combination of resources and expertise to the business employer that will result in a skilled and qualified labor force. The Business Relations Unit will collaborate with employers and partner agencies to develop a job matching process. This process will provide immediate responsiveness and qualified job candidates available to meet the business needs of the employers. The key components are to understand business acumen and the employers’ bottom line (Return on Investment). Success has been to work with customers every step of the way and when DeKalb’s residents are gainfully employed, DeKalb’s economy thrives.
DeKalb Workforce Development offers an assortment of initiatives for business employers. Currently we are emphasizing two major programs. In brief, see below the list of programs that can support your new hire needs and existing workforce needs at the same time.
DeKalb County’s Learn & Earn On-the-Job Training (OJT) Initiative provides employers a subsidy/reimbursement of up to 50% of the OJT employee’s wages. The subsidy covers the costs of training for up to a 90-day period. Employers must agree to hire eligible individuals, provide them with skills training over a specific period of time, and pay wages at the same rates as similarly situated employees’ wages. The initiative minimizes the upfront costs of training and supervision for new employees and ensures training is aligned with the actual skill requirements of the job. Employers also realize immediate gains in productivity as workers learn on the job. Workers benefit from employment and the immediate gain of income they will receive during the training process.
Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) provides funding for training to an existing employee. The initiative is designed to help businesses effectively retain employees and stay competitive by supporting skills-upgrade training for existing full-time employees, thus averting layoffs and possible business closings. Businesses may use a public or private training provider, or may use an approved in-house training provider based on the nature of the training. Benefits of IWT initiatives include a more skilled workforce, increased organizational efficiency and higher wages for existing personnel.