Today's moderator: Rick Badie

Rick Badie joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as an education reporter in 1997. A South Georgia native, he’s covered the region’s immigrant communities, was a feature obituary writer and opinion columnist for the AJC’s Gwinnett edition. He is a moderator of conversations on the AJC's Atlanta Forward page.

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Georgia relies on innovative technology and a trained workforce to grow its manufacturing base. Today, a Georgia Tech professor writes about the possibility of long-term growth if the state remains committed to this mass-production sector. An executive with Georgia Quick Start writes about that program's role in training a skilled labor force. Meanwhile, an entrepreneur writes about the role of social media in marketing restaurants. To comment, go to: http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-forward/

Today's columnists:

Georgia competes in manufacturing by Thomas Kurfess

Quick workforce training by Rodger Brown

Social media markets restaurants by Robby Kukler