Does McDonald’s need Georgia Department of Labor to recruit minimum wage fast-food workers?

The Georgia Department of Labor recently posted the following information:

The Georgia Department of Labor’s (GDOL) Cedartown Career Center will help McDonald’s recruit about 50 employees to work in Carroll, Douglas and Polk counties. The recruitment will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 1-5 p.m. at the McDonald’s restaurant located at 328 North Main St. in Cedartown. GDOL staff will be on site to assist applicants. Salaries will begin at $7.25 an hour.

If you check the Georgia Department of Labor’s website, they claim:

The Mission of the Georgia Department of Labor is: 

To work with public and private partners in building a workforce system that contributes to Georgia's economic prosperity.

Now there is nothing wrong with working at McDonald’s or any fast-food restaurant, but when people think about bringing jobs to Georgia and building an educated workforce, they probably don’t think that hiring workers at the Federal minimum wage contributes to that goal in a significant manner.

Is this really where GDOL should be putting its energy?

Doesn’t the Department think that McDonald’s, an international employer, can hire its own employees at minimum wage without the help of the Georgia Department of Labor?

GDOL needs to focus on helping to develop a workforce that can compete nationally and internationally.

The goal should be to focus on well-paying jobs with good benefits and career advancement. That means technical training and encouraging workers to pursue their dreams both by supporting them and providing them with the tools they need to succeed.

While job growth continues strong in the metro Atlanta area, it is showing signs of weakening in many parts of Georgia.

GDOL needs to be working to help find solutions to the lack of job opportunities in the rural portions of the state, and workers in those areas need to know that the GDOL cares about them.

It is unclear how GDOL staff spending time and energy helping McDonald’s hire 50 minimum-wage staff for fast-food restaurants (that may be company or franchisee-owned) is in the long-term interests of Georgia's workforce.

You can read the GDOL announcement here.

New bioscience training center opens in Social Circle, Ga.

State officials formally marked the grand opening of a new $14 million Georgia Bioscience Training Center on Sep. 10 in Newton County.

Located directly across from the site of Baxalta’s $1 billion biomanufacturing facility in Social Circle, Ga., the training center is designed to meet Baxalta’s workforce training needs and includes flexible space to accommodate the training needs of additional life sciences companies that choose to locate or expand in Georgia. The training center is owned by the State of Georgia and operated by Georgia Quick Start, a division of the Technical College System of Georgia.

“A skilled, professionally trained and qualified workforce is essential for Georgia to usher in a new era of bioscience industry,” said Gov. Nathan Deal. “The BioScence Training Center is a showcase destination where biotech prospects and industry groups can see the level of support and training expertise Georgia can provide. Operated by Quick Start, the No. 1 workforce training program in the country, this first-of-its-kind training center offers companies a great opportunity to secure a qualified workforce and offers Georgians resources and support to ensure their success in these high performance jobs.”

“Our employees are the core of this mission,” said senior vice president and head of global operations of Baxalta John Furey. “With Georgia Quick Start’s help, we will continue to attract and train top-talent in the area to join our Baxalta team.”

The facility features custom-made technology that simulates Baxalta’s biomanufacturing processes such as centrifugation, chromatography, nanofiltration and aseptic filling. It also has space for the aseptic production of pharmaceutical-grade clinical samples. Additionally, the training center is equipped to deliver training on a wide range of advanced manufacturing technologies including mechatronics, metrology and process controls.

“This is a significant milestone in Georgia’s growth as a premier location for biomanufacturing, and solidifies the state’s commitment to the life science industry,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Chris Carr. “To be able to offer biotech companies access to customized training and one-of-a-kind equipment gives us a major competitive advantage in the global marketplace.”

Baxalta was spun off from Baxter International in July. It is currently fighting attempts by Shire PLC, which launched a takeover bid in August.