Friday, July 12, 2002

Georgia Power, CCSU join forces for training program

Georgia Power Company and Clayton College & State University will hold a joint press conference Monday to announce their partnership in SmartStart for New Vets, the University's training program for new military veterans. The conference will take place in the Auditorium of the Georgia Power Building, 241 Ralph McGill Blvd., Atlanta.

SmartStart For New Vets is funded by a $927,000 U.S. Department of Labor grant awarded to CCSU. The program will serve as a working model for recruiting, training, and placing junior enlisted men and women (E2-E5) exiting the military into well-paying civilian careers. The program is provided at no cost to veterans.

U.S. Rep. Mac Collins, a long-term supporter of the SmartStart program, is expected to participate. Also present will be Clayton State President Dr. Thomas K. Harden and Georgia Power President and CEO David M. Ratcliffe.

"The basic idea behind SmartStart is to help junior enlisted military personnel transition to civilian employment, and to fulfill the promise made to them when they enlisted," stated Dr. Wallace Shakun, dean of Continuing Education at Clayton State.

Georgia Power's corporate partnership will allow the company access to a diverse pool of applicants to meet its future employment needs, in keeping with its well-established support of military veterans.

"We are excited to be a part of this new program" said Debra Howell, director of staffing at Southern Company, Georgia Power's parent company.

"The SmartStart program provides a valuable link between our workforce planning needs for all of Southern Company and the skills these military personnel posses."

SmartStart initially will be limited to junior enlisted military persons serving at selected military installations in Georgia and other Southern states.

However, the use of the SmartStart Website's on-line job preparation packages will allow easy and rapid expansion to U.S. military installations worldwide. The non-credit training provided through the University's Division of Continuing Education, is job specific and directly related to the skills and education requirements of the program's corporate partners.