Page 52 - Robins Region NCG 2019

Educational

Partnerships

with Frito-Lay:

Turbo-charging Houston

County’s Workforce Pipeline

one are the days of simple County Board of Education, Houston County Initial meetings were held in 2014 to
assembly line jobs where Career Academy, PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division, identify ways to connect Houston County
G a worker would bolt on and Central Georgia Technical College, the public school students to real-world
widgets every day for 30 years, then strategic partnership has received state experiences that would give them tangible
retire. Today’s industrial manufacturing and national recognition. The program skills prior to entering the workforce. With one
requires a diverse skill set. With high-tech equips high school students with technical of the world’s largest chip production factories
equipment, computer interfaces, and skills required to work in the field and the just down the road in Perry, an opportunity to
complex systems, workers must be part opportunity to interview for highly sought- fill a need for Frito-Lay was on the table.
engineer, part computer programmer, after apprenticeships with Frito-Lay. According to Phelps, Frito-Lay, like many
and part problem-solver.
“The partnerships are true testaments manufacturers, was experiencing the need
The Houston County Career Academy of economic development in action,” said to ensure it has a pipeline of talent to fill
is preparing students for the present Career Academy Principal Sabrina Phelps. current and future openings that are critical
and future of manufacturing through its “The return on investment is equally to the business. In recent years, many U.S.
Industrial Maintenance Program. Developed shared with the industry, the community, manufacturers have had a shortage of skilled
through collaborative efforts of the Houston and the school system.” and highly skilled workers with the ability

48 www.RobinsRegion.com • 478-922-8585
48 www.RobinsRegion.com • 478-922-8585