Dr. Greg George, director of the Center for Economic Analysis at Middle Georgia State University’s School of Business, recently conducted a study on Augusta Technical College’s economic impact that stated the institution “generates $58,655,564 of annual economic activity (in the current year) and an estimated $320,609,344 over the next five years, adjusting for inflation.”
According to the study, “Each year, Augusta Technical College directly employs 399 employees, generating $24,500,000 in direct household earnings and supports an additional 115 jobs in the local economy, totaling 514 in total regional jobs impact.” The college also enhances regional household by $32,482,100 due to its presence. That number can be extrapolated to a $169,038,153 impact over a five year span.
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“The college is proud to have a positive economic impact in the CSRA,” said Dr. Jermaine Whirl, president of the college. “The numbers alone only represent our direct impact on employment and spending activity. We are most proud of our 87% graduate placement rate in-field, and that 94% of our graduates come from the CSRA and 96% stay after graduation. Our graduates are business managers, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals, information technology experts, public service leaders and skill trades men and women. With our new strategic plan in place, we look to exponentially grow our impact throughout the region for years to come.”
Gov. Brian P. Kemp announced the availability of $15 million to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Georgia from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) fund. Those funds are to “advance student academic achievement by addressing learning recovery and other critical needs of youth brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
This allotment will be awarded to serve 9,000 youth, according to a press release. Sub-awards will be made to local club chapters based on number of youth served at an average cost of $1,550 per child. The funds will be distributed “amongst 34 Boys & Girls Clubs organizations, 141 sites and 62 counties in Georgia.”
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Georgia have done a remarkable job of serving the needs of youth across the Peach State,” said Kemp. “With this GEER funding, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Georgia will be able to further enhance student academic achievement by addressing educational gaps caused by the pandemic. I look forward to seeing the positive impact this funding has on youth across the State of Georgia.”
The funding period stretches from June 2021 to September 2022, with summer camps, school breaks, after-school programs and more impacted.
Georgia bus manufacturer Blue Bird recently announced a milestone of 500 electric-powered school buses either delivered or on order.
“Customer interest and excitement in owning a Blue Bird electric-powered school bus is increasing every day and we are thrilled to reach the sales milestone of 500 electric-powered buses hitting the road this year,” said Phil Horlock, president and CEO of Blue Bird Corporation. “We are committed to providing school bus fleets with safe, clean-power transportation, and with electric-powered buses, it’s easy to see how students and the community can benefit. Across North America, Blue Bird school buses transport more than 8 million children to school each day; by eliminating harmful emissions from the tailpipe, we are protecting students against the risk of asthma and lung disease. Safe, clean transportation is our priority.”
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“Blue Bird’s zero-emission, electric-powered school buses support new federal initiatives on climate change, including the Clean School Bus Act and the Clean Commute for Kids Act,” according to a press release. “With students returning to school and the federal government’s plan to invest in infrastructure and American-made electric vehicles, Blue Bird expects substantial growth in zero-emission school bus sales in the years ahead.”
Tyler Strong is the Business Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at tyler@theaugustapress.com.
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