Georgia’s unemployment rate hit a record low last month, according to the Georgia Department of Labor.
The unemployment rate dipped from 3.5 percent to 3.4 percent in October. It has not been that low for 20 years. The state also saw high job numbers amid a growing workforce…
“A healthy business climate is great news for Georgia’s workforce,” said Buzz Brockway, Georgia Center for Opportunity’s vice president of public policy.
Dr. Alexander Ruder of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta testified on this “benefits cliff” during recent state budget hearings. Speaking on workforce development, he noted that we are having difficulty moving entry-level employees up a career ladder because many can’t afford to take a pay raise.
He has agreement from “both sides” that this is an actual problem. Both the right-leaning Georgia Center for Opportunity and the left-leaning Georgia Budget and Policy Institute have written extensively on benefits cliffs.
Georgia became a national leader on criminal justice reform because the right and the left were willing to put down their partisan talking points and address some fundamental and basic problems that were incarcerating non-violent citizens and permanently inhibiting their contributions to society well after their public debt had been paid.
On Wednesday, September 11, nearly 200 community leaders, nonprofit practitioners, business people, and concerned citizens gathered at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta for one unifying purpose: To find solutions that restore dignity and hope to the most vulnerable in our society.
Renewing civil societyIn a particular highlight, American Enterprise Institute President Robert Doar and best-selling author Tim Carney discussed how to reverse the breakdown of civil society and community in modern America. Attendees were also treated to insights from on the key question of how to measure nonprofit effectiveness from Heather Reynolds, managing director of the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities at Notre Dame.
Employment
We also heard from community leaders working hard on the ground level to help as many Georgians as possible achieve the Success Sequence.
Employers such as Southwire and its 12 for Life apprenticeship program are reaching thousands of at-risk youth. By 2019, the program has graduated over 2,900 students and had an immense impact on Carroll County, Georgia, helping to increase the high-school graduation rate from around 60 percent to in the 90 percent range.
We also heard the heartwarming story of Michael Jones and Thrive Farmers. Jones founded the for-profit business to not only provide top quality coffees and teas, but to ensure the farmers who grow these crops are fairly treated and compensated.
It’s challenging to adequately address employment without talking incarceration and prisoner reentry, so we also heard from Doug Ammar of the Georgia Justice Project on smoothing pathways to careers for ex-offenders.
Attendees heard key ideas on how to strengthen the first step of the Success Sequence—get a good education—from leaders at organizations and schools like Youth Entrepreneurs, the Path Project, and Bright Futures Academy.
Rounding out our time together, we were inspired by change-makers closer to home—leaders at FaithBridge Foster Care, Connections Homes, and Foster Care Alliance who are committed to the goal of finding a loving home for every foster child.
There was a lot of great conversations and we will be posting full session videos in the near future. Stay tuned and be sure to sign up for our newsletter to get updates as they become available.
Regaining trust takes two participants.
Tina Taylor, an experienced professional counselor for more than ten years, joins us to discuss the principle of trust. This session continues the discussion on regaining and building trust.
Below is the outline to follow along with as she presents.
OUTLINE
A. How do you know if someone is trustworthy?
1. Does this person keep promises?
2. Does this person show empathy towards others?
3. Does this person show they are aware of how their actions affect others?
4. Does this person run away from problems?
5. Does this person use or take advantage of others?
6. Does this person behave helpless and look for others to take care of them?
B. Four Ingredients for Change
1. Insight- Acknowledge the offense
2. Gain new information (partner and other resources)
3. Effort to correct (intentional)
4. Time and practice
Examples: Defaulted on a loan from a friend and Spent more money than agreed
Key: It is work. Do the work. Work starts in your heart as this is where your intentions start. Conscious inner feeling or voice that helps decide between right and wrong.
C. Doing the work to battle here has results in how you relate to others.
1. Think about the feelings of others
2. Think about the ramifications of your actions
3. Look to give rather than receive
4. What a trustworthy partner looks like:
a. Maturity
b. Adaptable
c. Relationship Skills
d. Responsible
e. Inner Confidence
f. Anger Management
e. Gracious
d. Emotionally Stable
D. Conclusion
1. As one seeking to build or rebuild trust- Keep your head before your heart
2. As one seeking to regain trust- It is work. Do the work.
