By Larry K. Williams, TAG President and CEO
Georgia is a national leader in advanced manufacturing, outpacing the U.S in 10-year GDP growth in the manufacturing of products including machinery, fabricated metals and electrical equipment and components. Our state’s strength across multiple sectors has resulted in about $60 billion of output and a workforce of approximately 380,000 production professionals. Today, several industry powerhouses such as Kia Motors, Caterpillar and Gulfstream Aerospace call Georgia home.
An exciting trend has emerged in our state’s manufacturing sector: the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen our workforce and overall competitive advantage. As such, we are positioning Georgia for the manufacturing needs of both the present and future.
I’m pleased to share that TAG-Ed (TAG’s Education Collaborative) was recently named the recipient of a grant made possible by the passage of the $1 billion Build Back Better Act’s Regional Challenge. It is part of an overall $65 million federal grant within the state of Georgia—one of the largest awarded nationally – to support combining AI and manufacturing innovations with transformational workforce and outreach programs.
As a result of this incredible opportunity, TAG-Ed will be able to broaden its impact and reach to help ensure there’s an adequate pipeline of talent to fill important jobs within our ecosystem. The goal is to bring access to inclusive resources, connections and opportunities to diverse members of the community. As such, TAG-Ed will launch and sustain five groupings of equity-based AI manufacturing talent development and deployment programs.
This grant further facilitates the continuation of several years of collaboration between TAG, local partners and the Georgia Institute of Technology to position Georgia as a hub for AI and manufacturing innovation across all sectors.
To read more about the Build Back Better Act grant, click here.
