Former U.S. Secretary of Education Bill Bennett will address an audience of invited leaders in education, industry and government as keynote speaker at the regional workforce summit.

The SRS Community Reuse Organization and four area economic development groups – the Augusta Economic Development Authority and the Development Authority of Columbia County in Georgia and the Economic Development Partnership and Southern Carolina Alliance in South Carolina – are sponsoring the summit for invited guests including industry CEOs, school board members and superintendents, and local government officials.

“This is an important event in our continuing efforts to create dialog and increase awareness about future workforce needs in this region and to prepare today’s students for employment in key sectors over the next few years,” Rick McLeod, Executive Director of the SRSCRO, said. 

Bennett served as Secretary of Education in President Ronald Reagan’s administration and was the nation’s first drug czar under President George H.W. Bush. Considered one of America’s most influential voices on cultural, political and educational issues, he will speak on “The Promise of America in Challenging Times & Education Today”.        

He is the author of more than 24 books, including two New York Times number one best sellers.  He also hosts the seventh-ranked nationally syndicated radio show, Morning in America, heard locally on WRDW AM radio, and he will soon be hosting the Bill Bennett Interview on Salem Radio.

The summit builds on a 2015 regional workforce study commissioned by the SRSCRO.  The study found that some 37,000 job openings with existing companies in the region are expected between 2014 and 2019 with more than three-fourths of those being replacements for current workers due mostly to retirements.

The study also revealed that area employers believe the overall regional workforce is good or excellent but entry-level talent often lacks basic skills.  It also concludes that recruitment from other areas of the country is difficult and that the current aging workforce poses significant challenges.

The day-long meeting will include three panel discussions by regional economic developers, nuclear and manufacturing executives and area leaders in regional healthcare and cyber/information technology, representing the region’s fastest-growing career sectors.

An afternoon session will feature Curt Steinhorst, a national speaker and member of the Millennial generation who has become known as a “Leader of Millennials”.  At age 20, he was elected president of his 10,000-member class at Texas A&M University.  Since graduating from college magna cum laude, he has worked extensive to make the most of generational differences for clients around the world.