Drenner to Serve on Education Town Hall

State Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates) will serve on the panel for a town hall meeting on soft skills in education on Thursday, August 11, 2011 from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. 

The event will take place at DeKalb Technical College and will provide an opportunity for the public to help create a set of skill lessons to ensure Georgia students are prepared to achieve success in the workplace.

“Improving our economy and creating jobs for Georgians should be our number one priority,” said Drenner. “The implementation of an effective soft skills certification will help ensure Georgia students enter the workforce with those vital social and professional skills that are necessary to succeed in the modern workplace.  These are the skills that employers look for when hiring, which is why they are so important.”

On May 13, 2011, Gov. Nathan Deal signed into law House Bill 186 authorizing the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development (GOWD) to establish certification in soft skills such as punctuality, ability to learn, appropriate business attire, and the ability to work as a team. 

Thursday’s town hall is part of a series of such events hosted by the GOWD in order to allow stakeholders from across the state to give input on the benefits of soft skills. This series of 31 public town hall meetings allows Georgia’s students, parents, business leaders, and professional educators to be a part of the establishment of a statewide certification in soft skills.

Other panelists at Thursday’s meeting will include a representative from the Georgia departments of Education, Labor, and Economic Development; as well as representatives from the the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and other state and local officials.

Drenner represents District 86, which includes portions of DeKalb County. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2000, and currently serves on the Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications, Health & Human Services, Natural Resources & Environment, and Rules committees.  She also serves on the Special Committee on Small Business Development and Job Creation.