Local manufacturers, business leaders and school officials gathered Wednesday at Lanier Technical College in Oakwood for a forum to address how skilled, educated and motivated workers can be developed, recruited and funneled into burgeoning career paths. “It’s a real shame that we have some people spending some lost years” trying to figure out what to do with their life, said Tim Evans, vice president of economic development at the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce. Evans echoed similar sentiments expressed by other attendees, many of whom talked about how high school students are ill-informed about the choices and opportunities that await them.