Perhaps the most ambitious undertaking One Sumter’s efforts around workforce development and education centers on the foundation’s partnership with Sumter County Schools to pursue designation of a College and Career Academy (CCA) in Sumter County. With the CCA Steering Committee kicking-off its efforts in March of 2017, business and industry leaders have continued to drive the initiative to support a new model of experiential learning, with the potential to accelerate the quality and capability of our future workforce by partnering with Sumter County Schools, South Georgia Technical College, and Georgia Southwestern State University. Visiting CCAs with strong track records in Newnan-Coweta County, LaGrange-Troup County, Albany-Dougherty County, and Macon-Bibb County, industry leaders and educational professional have begun the rigorous process of research and evaluation around identifying career pathways for students, understanding financial mechanisms and governing structures, and pursuing the critical relationships with Sumter County’s business community that will create the backbone of this new education model.

Seeking application for the 2018 CCA Grant Cycle through the Technical College System of Georgia, One Sumter, Sumter County Schools and South Georgia Technical College have worked collaboratively to contract with industry expert Russ Moore of Seamless education Associates, Inc. to guide Sumter County through this process.

Georgia Power Foundation presented One Sumter with a donation to seed Sumter County’s College & Career Academy.

One Sumter’s focus on the objectives of the Business Action Plan for Workforce Development have yielded great results in terms of strengthening relationships between the business community and the education partners of Sumter County, creating a unique synergy around the singular goal of creating a model workforce in our community.  In 2018, we are laying the foundation for that objective by establishing a true partnership between Sumter County Schools, our regional colleges, and most importantly, our area’s employers through the creation of a college and career academy (CCA).

Following a business model approach to education, the purpose or mission of a CCA is to connect students with real jobs in the Americus area, which means employers will have greater access to a highly trained and motivated workforce in their own backyard. Strategically located adjacent to the Sumter County Development Authority’s Industrial Park and across the street from South Georgia Technical College, the new CCA is designed to send a message to business and industry that we are building a stronger workforce to meet their needs sooner.

​For information regarding College & Career Academies in the State of Georgia, please click here to visit their website.

Different from traditional educational models we are accustomed to, a CCA is different because it is governed by a nonprofit, employer-driven board of directors that utilizes local and area employer data to design curriculum targeted to meet the needs of our region’s employers—meaning, our students are being trained to be the workforce of our region specifically.

Making stronger connections between students and jobs, a CCA serves to enhance traditional vocational-style classes that already exist within the current system but tend to have limited reach as that model is designed as a one-way outreach method from educators to the business community.  By establishing a CCA partnership, this new approach involves the entire community in the education process:  setting specific objectives and performance goals, and making sure those targets are both reached and exceeded.  This model serves as an accountability measure where all partners—students, K-12 systems, higher education institutions, business and civic leaders, and industry partners commit to a greater standard of performance and achievement to build out the economy of our future. We are all a part of making the “win” happen.

​The new Americus Area College & Career Academy will blend traditional CTAE programming with expanded targets for dual enrollment, increased opportunities for work-based learning, and enhanced access to a hands-on partnership to involve industry and higher education in our K-12 learning environments at even greater rates than before. Our students will have the opportunity to attend college—through a higher education system of their choice and graduate with higher degrees at an earlier age—at no cost to the student.  The new CCA will also create an environment where our students can participate in the work place sooner through apprenticeships and internships—earning an income while attaining high school and college credits.

The CCA is paid for by existing public education dollars already being spent by voluntary investment from stakeholders (such as employers or foundations), and through additional state funds made available through the Technical College System of Georgia. Because drop-out rates tend to decrease in communities that have established a CCA, public partners helping to run a CCA can both make money and save money.

Seeking application for the 2018 CCA Grant Cycle through the Technical College System of Georgia, One Sumter, Sumter County Schools and South Georgia Technical College have worked collaboratively to contract with industry expert Russ Moore of Seamless Education Associates, Inc. to guide Sumter County through this process. And, now we need your help!