Education   |    Technical Training

Quick Start website 
Since 1967, Georgia's Quick Start program has developed award-winning training systems for thousands of expansion and relocation projects implemented by a wide range of leading manufacturing and service industries. Their experience includes training workers to assemble intricate aircraft components, manufacture a wide variety of plastic and metal products and field calls from customers as diverse as online investors, diagnostic equipment users and home warranty holders.

Having served such a diverse group of industries, a dedicated Quick Start liaison at the Blairsville Campus of North Georgia Technical College can help analyze your processes and corporate culture to determine the optimum blend of training services to support your business. Quick Start provides both the resources and expertise essential to new, expanding or existing facilities. And for qualified businesses, these services are provided free of charge.

Quick Start will provide staff members to visit your company to prepare a training program for your new plant in Union County. Together your company and our Quick Start staff will get your plant in production faster and give your company a "quick start."

North Georgia Technical College website 
Blairsville in 1998 celebrated the opening of the Blairsville Campus of North Georgia Technical College, located on GA 515 on the west side of Blairsville across from Meeks Park.

This is a state-of-the-art $5.5-million facility with 48,000 square feet of classrooms, labs and administrative space. The latest technology is found in every program. Student enrollment for 2008 was 698. North Georgia Technical College was accredited in 2008 to offer two-year associate degrees as well as technical certificates and diplomas in a variety of career fields.

North Georgia Technical College maintains a close relationship with the business and industrial community to keep in step with the latest operating equipment and the skills needed to meet the requirements of each industry.

Georgia’s Work Ready Initiative website 
Georgia Work Ready was launched in August 2006 by Georgia governor Sonny Perdue and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce to improve the job training and marketability of Georgia’s workforce and drive future economic growth for the state. It is the only initiative of its kind to be conducted through a partnership between a state government and state chamber of commerce, ensuring that companies can more reliably match the right people with the right jobs.

This workforce training initiative assesses the skills of Georgia’s workers, determines valuable job training opportunities and assures companies that the state can provide a long-term, qualified labor supply. Through a voluntary workforce assessment system called Work Ready, the program measures the “real world” skills that employers believe are critical for job success today and for mastering the innovative technologies tomorrow’s jobs will require.

Workers in Union County can take a free job assessment and then become eligible to receive a certificate indicating their skill and knowledge levels to potential employers. Assessments are conducted through Georgia’s system of technical colleges, including North Georgia Technical College.

Union County is one of 107 counties that have made a commitment to earn Certified Work Ready Community status, a designation showing they have the talented workforce that business demands and the means to drive economic growth and prosperity. To be designated a Certified Work Ready Community, counties must drive current workers and the available workforce to earn Work Ready Certificates, demonstrate a commitment to improving public high school graduation rates and build community commitment for meeting these goals. A team of Union County economic development, government and education partners are working to meet the certification criteria.