Unlock stock picks and a broker-level newsfeed that powers Wall Street.
State program training Georgia's growing green workforce
Quick Start staff visit a Hyundai facility in Seoul as part of the process of developing training for the company’s new electric vehicle plant near Savannah.
Quick Start staff visit a Hyundai facility in Seoul as part of the process of developing training for the company’s new electric vehicle plant near Savannah.

This coverage is made possible through a partnership with WABE and Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. This article first appeared on WABE.org on Sept. 26, 2023.

The innards of several cars recently sat on a series of long tables in the middle of a warehouse near Savannah. The first chunk of metal was totally stripped bare, an unidentifiable collection of frames, connectors, hinges and tracks. But down the line, each got more complete, until it was clear that, with some upholstery, this would be the front seat of a car.

It’s all to help teach Georgia workers.

“They are going to learn how to assemble and install the seating systems that will go into the Ioniq Six,” explained Rodger Brown, executive director of Quick Start, the state’s workforce training program.

The Ioniq Six is Hyundai’s electric car that will eventually be built at the company’s new “meta plant,” which is under construction about an hour away. But until that factory’s done, no one’s building EVs in this area – so the new employees Hyundai is hiring will go to the training site first to learn the ropes.

The Hyundai plant is just one of a string of factories Georgia has attracted in the last few years that will make electric vehicles and parts, solar panels and more.They’re multi-million dollar investments that promise thousands of new jobs – most of which require training. Quick Start, a state-funded program and part of the technical college system, is part of the incentive program that draws these manufacturers to the state.

“I would argue that the Quick Start program is one of the best tools that we have in our toolkit, when it comes to luring companies to our region,” said Trip Tollison, the head of the Savannah Economic Development Authority. “And I say that because it's the best workforce training program in the country.”

A Qcells employee takies part in hands-on training with Georgia Quick Start.
A Qcells employee takies part in hands-on training with Georgia Quick Start.

Learning ahead

Founded in the 1960s as part of an effort to attract manufacturers to diversify Georgia’s agriculture-heavy economy, Quick Start is the oldest program of its kind in the country, according to the state Department of Economic Development. The program works with each new company to develop training materials, from classroom and video lessons to hands-on work.

At the Hyundai training site, a classroom area sits at one end of the large space. Elsewhere sit disemboweled doors, bare car frames and walls of electrical connectors and metal rivets for trainees to practice on. They’ll start with manual torque wrenches, even though on the real factory floor they’ll use automatic power drills.