Unemployed Georgians seeking jobs now have a new resource: the Be Work Ready program.

Be Work Ready is a new component of the Work Ready program, which trains people in core work skills to make them successful in various jobs.

“There’s a lot of negative going on the with economy, and this is some kind of hope, something positive,” said Russell Vandiver, executive director of Economic Development Services at Lanier Technical College. “People are tired of looking for jobs and can’t find anything, and we’re encouraging them to see that there are opportunities out there.”

The program is a statewide initiative designed to improve the marketability of the state’s work force and drive future economic growth in the state.

Lanier Tech begins offering the program Monday at six campus locations around the state: Oakwood, Jackson County, Forsyth County, Winder-Barrow, the Milton Center and Dawson County.

Participants are assessed in applied mathematics, reading for information, locating information and work habits and awarded a work ready certificate in bronze, silver, gold or platinum.

“There’s an economic incentive for unemployed people, too,” said Royce Glenn, director of the program at Lanier Tech. “If you come in and earn platinum right off, you get $100. If your level is less than that, you earn $50 but get the chance to raise the score and earn an additional $100.”

Vandiver said the idea is to get prospective workers on the campus to see what training is like.

“It was scary for me to go back and get my master’s degree a few years ago,” he said. “Some people may be hesitant to walk on a campus again, and we want them to see how different it probably is from their perception.”

Technical training could be the answer to obtaining job skills, he said.

“Get help here with the job search and develop a better resume,” Vandiver said. “A technical college and training can open a lot of doors.”