The Global Workforce Initiative, an educational program of the Georgia Department of Education, and Siemens, a supplier of innovative and environmentally friendly products, solutions and services for industrial customers, announced they are expanding their strategic partnership to provide enhanced training and career opportunities for Georgia students and Siemens employees.

The current Siemens GWI pilot enables high school seniors from participating schools to take part in a work-study program, where they are trained on the specific skills they need to qualify for entry-level positions within Siemens after they graduate. This phase of expansion includes a two-year apprenticeship program for existing Siemens employees, which includes attending classes at Lanier Technical College. Upon completion of the program, these employees will be eligible for higher-paying positions at Siemens, enabling their positions to be backfilled by the graduates of the high school work-study program.

“The partnership between Siemens and the GWI enables us to hire more qualified workers, reduce training costs and create job opportunities for students who want to work for our company,” said Shujath Ali, plant manager for Forsyth office of Siemens.

“Our strategic partnership gives Georgia students the opportunity to acquire the skills they need to secure entry-level positions after high school and offers businesses a template they can use to work more closely with their local schools, hire more qualified workers and close the skills gap in Georgia,” added Denis Brosnan, managing director of the Global Workforce Initiative.

“Working with Siemens and the GWI, Lanier Tech designed a custom educational track that provides specific skills needed by one of Georgia’s most prominent employers,” said Tim McDonald, vice president for economic development at Lanier Tech. “This link with Siemens offers a practical way to make train Georgians and provide the expertise and skill levels employers need to be more successful.”