This partnership raises the bar on preparing talent for Georgia’s workforce
It’s no coincidence that Georgia continues to attract people and industries looking to relocate.
The people, companies and community infrastructure already in place support a fertile environment for economic prosperity.
In the past year Mercedes-Benz, Yamaha and Rivian joined the growing list of Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the state. Recent population data showed that Georgia is home to three of the nation’s top 10 fastest growing counties, and that the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro area had the third highest growth among U.S. metro areas from 2024 to 2025.
Georgia has ramped up work-aligned education
These newly arriving individuals and companies are raising the demand for talent in Georgia and creating new workforce challenges in the state.
Our two organizations, the Technical College System of Georgia and online Western Governors University, are committed to meeting these demands by leveraging education.
In April, TCSG and WGU signed an expanded partnership agreement, broadening our original partnership signed in 2022. We believe in the potential of Georgia’s homegrown talent.
The new agreement creates enhanced scholarship opportunities and generous transfer pathways for TCSG graduates who want to move from an associate degree to a bachelor’s degree.
Whether an already working adult, a resident living in a rural area or an individual pursuing a postsecondary degree for the first time, any graduate from one of the 22 technical colleges that make up TCSG can go on to pursue a bachelor’s degree at WGU.
We’ve found these students to be exceptionally prepared for the workforce and better equipped to continue their education through additional degrees from WGU.
Georgia has ramped up the statewide effort to provide its residents with better opportunities for an affordable, proven and work-aligned education, highlighted by Gov. Brian Kemp’s Top State for Talent initiative that was signed into law last May.
We believe our partnership, and other educational partnerships in Georgia like ours, answer this call. Together, the TCSG and WGU programs offer Georgians the option of earning academic certification ranging from a GED diploma all the way up to a master’s degree or advanced certification training — all through learning models built on our respective missions to provide affordability and accessibility for all citizens of the state.
Most sustainable workforce strategy invests in Georgians
Our two organizations share the belief that education is the engine for economic mobility and, from our own data, there is a direct correlation between educational certification and higher wages. Graduates of WGU go on to earn an average salary increase of $22,200 in just two years, and there are similar positive increases in earnings for graduates of TCSG programs.
One way our students achieve these higher earnings is by focusing on aligning the skills they’re learning with the needs of the workforce. Trends show the rapidly emerging need for more specialized education programs like apprenticeships, where the total count across the country has risen more than 77% since 2016.
Both TCSG and WGU have adapted to include a strong focus on apprenticeship programs, business and industry training, and professional development — and we’re seeing the benefits for our students firsthand.
In 2025, TCSG graduated 47,496 students, the highest number in its history. WGU has 13,720 alumni in Georgia, and more than 8,800 students currently enrolled. Georgians are already eager to upskill to meet the needs of today’s employers.
While new residents and businesses will always be part of Georgia’s success, the most sustainable workforce strategy is one that invests first in the people who already call this state home. By expanding access to affordable, work-aligned education, Georgia can meet rising talent demands without leaving its own residents behind.
When Georgians are given clear, supported pathways to earn credentials that align with workforce needs, the result is a stronger economy, higher wages and communities that grow from within. Partnerships like ours demonstrate that the talent Georgia needs is already here and simply needs access to opportunity. If Georgia wants to remain a top state for talent, the solution is to cultivate it internally.
Gregory C. Dozier is commissioner of the Technical College System of Georgia.
Kimberly K. Estep, Ph.D., is the Southeast regional vice president for the nonprofit online Western Governors University.
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