Gainesville High School has been selected as one of the first schools in the state to implement a Go Build Georgia high school team.

The Governor’s Office of Workforce Development has selected Gainesville, along with 134 other schools, to launch the project, a vein of the Go Build Georgia initiative set in motion in January to increase the number of skilled laborers in the state.

Those schools selected will put together a team consisting of teachers, counselors and leaders in the manufacturing, industrial construction, energy, telecommunications and transportation industries with the “goal of promoting career paths in the skilled trades.”

“The High School Teams project is our next step in solving the skills-gap in Georgia,” said Tricia Pridemore, executive director of the Office of Workforce Development, in a press release. “The goal is to bring educators and business leaders together in this conversation with Georgia’s youth as they consider college and training options.”

The team will host skilled trade career days, industry site visits and access to skilled trade workforce development materials. The idea is to provide the students with information on alternative options upon graduation from high school.

GSC earns recognition at national tournament
Over the weekend, the Gainesville State College mediation team competed in the 13th Annual International Academy of Dispute Resolution National Intercollegiate Mediation Tournament at Brenau University.

The team of Amy Broome, Scott Fuller and Gina Schwartz won a place in the final round, held Saturday afternoon before the chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court — one of the final-round judges. They won overall fourth place in the mediator team competition for the tournament.

Fuller was named an All-American Mediator, as one of the top 20 students competing as mediator.

More than 20 colleges from around the nation competed with the intent of giving “students a real life experience as (a) mediator and as an attorney and client.”

Lee Johnson covers education issues for The Times. Share your thoughts, news tips and questions with him:
ljohnson@gainesvilletimes.com, facebook.com/TimesLeeJohnson, @LeeJTimes