Senator Jon Ossoff (D) has introduced new legislation to upgrade technical colleges and help Georgians get job training. The Skilled Workforce Act incentivizes companies to invest directly in physical infrastructure and equipment for different educational institutions.
The bill is designed to assist high schools, career academies, and technical colleges for local workforce development needs.
The overall goal of the bill is to increase private investment that helps train both students and workers.
If passed, the bill will instruct the Secretary of the Treasury to coordinate with the Secretary of Commerce. Both will then have to establish a new program that awards a competitive tax credit for workforce training projects.
The bill is only twelve pages long, but it makes many changes to existing code. It changes definitions, adjusts eligibility of credits, and provides limitations.
The bill is seen as crucial because only ten states out of the whole country have a worker surplus. According to the Chamber of Commerce, Georgia is not one of those. It only has 74 available workers for every 100 open jobs.
Sen. Ossoff commented on the importance of this bill, stating, “Technical colleges, community colleges, and skills training are the foundation for Georgia’s middle class. That’s why I’m introducing this bill to encourage private businesses to invest in workforce development and hire Georgians.”
The Skilled Workforce Act has already garnered numerous endorsements from across the state of Georgia. This includes the Chambers of Commerce from Fayette County, Rome, Athens, and McIntosh County.
For example, the President and CEO of Fayette’s Chamber of Commerce, Leonardo McClarty, praised the bill for fostering economic development and workforce readiness. He stated, “We believe the Skilled Workforce Act will be a catalyst for innovation, opportunity, and prosperity for Fayette County businesses and across Georgia. We urge Congress to advance this important legislation and stand ready to support its implementation.”
The President and CEO of Athens’s Chamber of Commerce, David Bradley, praised the bill along similar grounds. He stated, “The Skilled Workforce Act of 2025 will incentivize companies to collaborate with wide array of partners to address this essential need. We are grateful for this effort and will urge for wide, non-partisan support in any way we are asked.”
