Now that technology is easily accessible for most sectors of society, our culture has come to see vocational education as obsolete—why bother working with your hands when you have a computer? Many people feel that the Internet is a powerful source of information and therefore there is no need for skills that don’t involve typing 80 words per minute. “As a society, we dismissed the manual arts as a relic of the past,” says Ryan Blythe, executive director of the Georgia Trade School. “For a generation or two, computers and college degrees were seen as the path to advancement. It is as if we forgot that certain jobs could not be performed in a cubicle by an office worker.” The common viewpoint is that most skilled labor jobs are limiting in terms of career advancement and financial security and generally low-paying. “While there is a misconception that skilled labor jobs are low-paying, the truth is that these are positions that offer job security and salaries that rival most professions,” says Rebecca Long, public relations specialist for Chattahoochee Technical College.

It doesn’t help trade schools that the standard American high school curriculum is strongly college preparatory. The fact remains that some essential jobs can never be done from behind a desk. Our country will always need the expertise of trained plumbers, electricians, mechanics and truck drivers, making it highly unlikely these jobs will ever be outsourced. Trade schools provide a valuable service in helping students prepare for these careers.

An Alternative to College

In this day and age, the traditional advice to high school graduates to just go to college doesn’t always pay off. That’s not to say that a college education is no longer worth it, but times have changed. Having a degree does not necessarily guarantee you a job or a middle-class wage. This is exacerbated by the rising cost of schooling—according to higherducation.org, Georgia, Louisiana and Florida all saw 2–5 percent increases in four-year college tuition between 2001 and 2003, while Southern states such as Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama saw a 6–10 percent increase for the same timeframe. “College is not for everyone, and there is no doubt in my mind that we send far too many high school graduates to a four-year university,” says Blythe. “The statistics back this up, with the average college graduate swimming in $25,000 worth of student debt and half of the 2011 grads still living at home.”

Experts say that the U.S. will soon be staring at a major shortage of skilled workers. As the older generations age and retire, employers will find that there are very few qualified job seekers to fill their positions. “With an aging workforce and growing skills gap, we are seeing a high demand for people with these skills,” says Long. “According to some statistics I have seen, for every four people in a skilled trade who decide to retire, there is only one qualified applicant for those four open positions.” For the welding field alone, our nation is expected to need an additional 238,000 workers by 2019 just to keep up.

Filling the Gap

Against this backdrop, trade schools have experienced something of a renaissance. Young people and non-traditional students, some of whom have already earned a four-year degree, are again seeing the value of skilled labor and trades with the help of government initiatives to encourage growth in the trades. In January, Governor Nathan Deal announced the launch of a statewide workforce development initiative called Go Build Georgia. Go Build Georgia piggybacks off the success of Go Build Alabama, which was initiated in 2010 by Alabama’s Construction Recruitment Institute as a trial before extending the program to other states. The program, which is endorsed by Mike Rowe of “Dirty Jobs” fame, aims to educate young people about the value of learning a trade and inspire them to consider taking up a career in the field. If successful, the project will spur future economic growth and improve the marketability of Georgia’s workforce. In addition, the popularity of television shows featuring the work of skilled tradesmen such as “Extreme 4×4,” “Two Guys Garage” and “Modern Marvels” have made the career path even more attractive to a younger generation.

Of course, the current state of the economy also has something to do with the resurgence. “A large contributing factor to increased and maintained enrollment is the uncertainty in the economy,” says Long. “We saw an influx of students wanting to start a new career, expand skills in a current field, or even get a head start on a four-year degree by completing general education courses at a lower cost and closer to home.” Chattahoochee Technical College experienced a double-digit increase in enrollment from 2009 to 2012. The numbers remain around 11,500 for the fall 2012 semester.

Looking Forward

In order for the future workforce to flourish in today’s economy, there must be options. Schools could benefit from embracing different forms of education and understanding that providing just a single track will not work for every student. “It completely depends on the individual,” says Blythe. “College will remain an important part of our country as many professional positions will require a degree or advanced degrees.” It is important that trade schools coexist with other types of higher education to ensure a secure future for all students.

The future of skilled labor looks very bright, according to current statistics. The Chronicle on Higher Education states that hiring for new associate degree recipients is expected to grow by more than 30 percent in the coming year. Students in welding programs are finding opportunities upon completion of their training programs. “We offer students a 30-hour unpaid internship. However with the current demand many students will be going directly to work,” says Blythe. Another positive: “In areas such as commercial truck driving we are seeing graduates with multiple offers because the need is so great,” says Long.

Over the past few years, statistics on obesity and its related health problems have been well documented in the media. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 64.8 percent of Georgia adults can be classified as overweight, while almost 30 percent of adults are obese. Among children ages 2 to 5, 15.8 percent are overweight and 13.5 percent are obese. The toll this health epidemic takes on individuals and families transcends economic boundaries and county lines. In Cobb County, for example, nearly 24 percent of adults are considered obese. With the dawning of a new year, many people will make resolutions to lose weight, go to the gym more and eat less. Having a strong support system in place can make the difference between achieving your health and wellness goals and slipping back into old habits. Facing down temptation and building up the motivation to work out is often easier with someone by your side to encourage you, so think about what you could accomplish if you had the entire community cheering you on.

The Power of Community

A variety of Cobb County activists, government officials and health care providers have come up with a way to make that happen: the Cobb2020 Health Improvement Initiative. The collaboration is supported by a Community Transformation Grant awarded by the CDC to Cobb & Douglas Public Health. The grant facilitates a multi-layered plan to make healthy living easier and more affordable, says Lisa Crossman, director of Clinical & Prevention Services at Cobb & Douglas Public Health. The business and community leaders involved with Cobb2020 are working to create a plan to identify the county’s most prevalent health problems and implement initiatives to create change.

Crossman and her colleagues believe that building healthier communities is essential to future generations. “Chronic health conditions are the health care challenge of this century,” she explains. “Obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and cancers are quickly eroding life expectancies in our community, and for the first time in our history, today’s children and young adults may have shorter life spans … than their parents.” Due to a combination of unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles, these preventable diseases are robbing many children of a healthy future. Crossman says that through education, policy improvement and proactive advocacy, Cobb2020 hopes to shift the county in a more positive direction.

When it comes to health, some people may have a misconception that intervention on the part of corporations or governments eliminates choices and results in a “Big Brother” atmosphere. But those involved with Cobb2020 note that the initiative is all about increasing choices for county residents. “This isn’t about telling you how to live your life, and it’s not about banning fast food or super-sized sodas,” explains Jay Dillon, Cobb2020 chair and director of communications for the Cobb County School District. “It’s about giving you the information you need to make healthy choices, to help those around you make healthy choices and improve the health services for those who need it the most.”

Cobb2020 Takes Shape

Nearly two years ago, the Cobb2020 Partnership began building collaborations with a variety of individuals and organizations on both a local and regional level. The partnership formed a steering committee, under the direction of Dillon and Dr. Jack Kennedy, district health director for Cobb & Douglas Public Health. “This steering team, comprised of key leaders in the community, is charged with establishing local strategic health goals, securing resources and promoting sound health policy to improve the health status of Cobb,” explains Crossman. Using a process called Mobilizing for Action Through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP), the all-star roster of organizations, from the American Cancer Society and the Cobb Chamber to Kennesaw State University and WellStar Health System, assessed the county’s current health status and set about creating a health improvement plan.

According to Crossman, MAPP is a process created by the CDC that has a proven success rate, so Cobb2020 will not become another well-meaning program that does not accomplish its goals. “The first step involved getting organized by developing a charter, vision and values,” she explains. The second step was to determine the state of health and health care in Cobb. “The third step … involved using the data to identify the key strategic issues impacting our community, and then establishing goals and strategies to address them,” says Crossman. “Based on our assessments, the steering committee identified two main areas of focus: healthy lifestyles and access to health services. These two areas are the main focus for our Cobb Community Health Improvement Plan.”

Putting the Plan to Work

Cobb2020 has done their due diligence in figuring out where the county’s residents need help. Now it is time to put their plan into action. “Specifically, we would like to reduce death and disability due to tobacco use by 5 percent among Cobb County residents; reduce the rate of obesity through nutrition and physical activity by 5 percent; and reduce death and disability due to heart disease and stroke by 5 percent,” says Crossman. These goals require commitments of time and money from Cobb2020’s community partners, both of which the organization has in spades. “Although this is just the beginning of our process, collectively we have received a multi-year commitment from the CDC resulting in $1 million for our county, and we secured more than $43,000 in sponsorships for our Cobb2020 event,” says Crossman.

In an effort to officially introduce the plan to the community, Cobb2020 organized an event called “The Weight Is Over,” which took place this past October at Marietta’s Strand Theatre. “The main goal of the event was to raise community leaders’ awareness about the growing health problems, particularly obesity and barriers to health services in Cobb County,” explains Crossman. “We also wanted to inspire them to collectively take action and join the Cobb2020 Partnership’s Health Improvement Initiative.” Three hundred and fifty attendees from around the county enjoyed a program emceed by WSB’s Condace Pressley and a keynote address from Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens. The program also featured clips from an HBO documentary film series entitled “Weight of the Nation.” At the end of the evening, nearly 200 community leaders had pledged to become involved with Cobb2020. Cobb2020 does not intend to let this momentum and excitement about change go to waste. “From January to March, Cobb2020 will reach out to community organizations like the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, the Cobb Business Associations and local civic groups to present how we can partner to reach the community health goals,” says Crossman.

Looking Ahead

In the coming months and years, Cobb County residents can expect to see a shift in the way the community approaches health and wellness. While Cobb2020 finalizes its strategic efforts to make these changes reality, it is already making information available to the public to help with those New Year’s resolutions. The initiative’s website, cobb2020.com, offers information and resources on nutrition as well as suggestions on ways you and your family can have fun while getting fit. You can also sign a pledge for change through the website—an important first step in building a healthy foundation for life. “The best way to create a healthy community is to get everyone involved and take responsibility,” says Crossman. “From large organizations to families and individuals, everyone in the community needs to become involved with our effort to make Cobb a better place to live.” As 2013 kicks off, don’t let a lack of support derail your efforts to get healthy. Sign the pledge, engage with the community and enjoy the journey.

On average, every 11 minutes another name is added to list of people waiting for transplants and between 18 and 20 pass away daily while they wait. Fortunately for Georgians, Marietta’s WellStar Kennestone Hospital recognizes the importance of helping those waiting for an organ. The hospital recently received a Department of Health and Human Services Bronze Medal of Honor for having outstanding organ donation rates between April 1, 2010, and March 31, 2012. They reached a 79 percent conversion rate, meaning 79 percent of the people who had the potential to be an organ donor actually donated. Because of this, 80 life-saving organs were recovered for people in end-stage organ failure. Kennestone earned the previously annual award in 2009 and 2010 before it became a biannual honor.

As Kaysha Cranon, senior public affairs coordinator for LifeLink of Georgia, says, “[Organ donors] were able to help the thousands that are waiting on our transplant waiting list here in Georgia. The need is very great; there are more than 3,600 people in Georgia waiting, so it’s a very big honor to get on a national level that says you’re addressing and helping people in your service area, in order to give that life-saving gift of an organ transplant.”

That national recognition would not be possible without the efforts of local hospital staff. “What we do in our hospital is a lot of education of the nurses and physicians about what potential organ donors might look like,” says Laura Garlow, trauma program manager at Kennestone. “When we have patients [who] the medical staff [recognize as having] non-survivable injuries, we notify LifeLink, as they help us [provide] information to families for the opportunity to donate, if that’s the wish of their loved ones. We’ve spent a lot of time educating our nurses and our physicians about the need for organ tissue donations and the opportunities to create a positive experience for the families when they’ve lost a loved one.”

In Georgia, a whopping 3,363 people on the transplant list need kidneys, 51 need lungs and 54 need a new heart. This Valentine’s Day is also National Donor Day, which is focused on five points of life: organs, tissues, marrow, platelets and blood. National Donor Day was started in 1998 by a partnership of the Saturn Corporation and the United Auto Workers and garnered the support of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To support the cause, many non-profit health organizations, including WellStar, sponsor blood and marrow drives and organ/tissue sign-ups across the nation. “We usually do things through Donate Life Georgia, which is a non-profit organization tasked with educating the state of Georgia about organ and tissue donation,” says Cranon. “What we do is honor and highlight different transplant recipients and bring their stories to the media to create awareness statewide. Last year we highlighted heart recipients because it was February and Valentine’s Day.”

There are many ways to get involved with National Donor Day, and it starts at your local donor registry. When applying for or renewing a driver’s license, it’s as simple as checking the organ donor box. You can also visit donatelifegeorgia.org/register and sign up online. Once you’ve made the commitment to be an organ donor, tell those you love. Sharing the news with your family and friends may help them understand the importance of donating. “So far 4.3 million Georgians … are on the registry. There’s about 9 million people in Georgia so we have some work to do, but we certainly are making strides,” says Cranon. Georgia has the No. 8 registry in the nation in terms of effectiveness and number of people who are on it.

According to Elle Pallent, hospital liaison between WellStar and LifeLink of Georgia, WellStar is coming up with many ways to honor those who donate both on Feb. 14 and in the month of April. In addition to spreading the word and participating in national campaigns, you can get involved with local and national groups to help promote donation in your community. Workplace Partnership for Life (WPFL) is a national initiative uniting the federal government with the organ donation community and businesses committed to spreading awareness of the importance of donor registration. The WPFL has helped register more than 580,000 new donors in the United States.

“It’s so important that hospitals are doing all they can … because there are so many people in need and their only hope for survival is organ donation,” says Cranon. “When someone says ‘I want to be an organ donor,’ they’re really saying, ‘I want to give life to someone else.’ What they’re doing is giving a gift that no one else could give this recipient, and that is the gift of life.”

In September/October, we featured an article about the implementation and effects of two new pilot programs in Cobb County schools – Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and flipped classrooms. At the time the article was written, three Cobb County middle schools had launched the program. Since then, the number of participants has grown due to positive response from both teachers and students—BYOD has increased to 104 participants, while flipped classrooms have jumped to 27. Teachers and students are reported to be excited about the new programs.

The BYOD program allows students to bring their own laptops, tablets or other electronic devices to class with them to aid the learning process and allow them to tap into a larger pool of online resources. The flipped classroom engages students via video lectures and allows students to do homework during normal class time. The district initially launched the programs at Lost Mountain, Pine Mountain, Floyd, Smith, Daniell and Dodgen middle schools.

Some schools implemented just one program, but many are trying both. In mid-December, Chief Academic Officer Amy Krause gave a presentation on the programs during a school board meeting, based on the programs’ engagement in area schools. Testing and achievement data from teachers will be collected later this year.