/ Quality of Life / Education

Education

Henry’s Got Talent

Today’s competitive global marketplace demands that companies seek a location that will provide a qualified and available workforce. Henry County’s equipped workforce meets your most critical needs by supplying an area labor force of more than 1.1 million skilled workers. With several of the nation’s most renowned universities and technical schools located less than an hour’s driving distance, coupled with businesses that are labor intensive – as well as those that require highly technical training – will attract the best that Georgia has to offer in Henry County.

Higher Education

The metro Atlanta area, and particularly Henry County, hosts a multitude of higher education opportunities for lifelong learning. Here is a quick snapshot of the colleges and universities nearby:

  • Mercer University’s Regional Academic Center in McDonough offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees from one of the nation’s top private colleges.
  • DeVry University offers technical certificates as well as undergraduate and graduate degrees at its Henry County location.
  • Clayton State University, an institution of the University System of Georgia, is located in neighboring Clayton County and is steadily expanding its offering of undergraduate programs of study in Henry County.
  • Southern Crescent Technical College, whose main campus is located in neighboring Spalding County, is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and offers a wide range of technical certificates, diplomas and associates degrees. SCTC’s Henry County Campus delivers relevant technical education, adult educaiton and learning opportunities.
  • Gordon State College, whose main campus is located in Barnesville, GA also has a Henry County presence with its McDonough Campus. Gordon State College is a residential college that offers four year degrees as well as fully transferable associate-level concentrations of study.

Training

Georgia offers a number of assistance programs, including Quick Start, to qualifying companies locating or expanding in Georgia, many at no charge.

The Quick Start program is Georgia’s internationally acclaimed workforce development program. This program helps companies maintain a competitive advantage by preparing workers for skill sets needed tomorrow as well as today. Some key facts:

  • A Quick Start training regimen is shaped specifically for the skills that a company is looking to develop in its employees
  • Training is conducted in classrooms, mobile labs or onsite at the company
  • Quick Start is provided at no charge by the Technical College System of Georgia
  • The program is versatile: Quick Start has prepared workers to assemble intricate aircraft components, grow bacteria for vaccines, manufacture plastic and metal products and field inquiries from customers, by phone or online


WorkSource Atlanta Regional, which is managed by the Atlanta Regional Commission, maintains career resource centers that serves several metro Atlanta counties including Henry.  Professionals at these centers assist job-seekers with career assessment testing, job readiness training in areas such as effective communication and problem solving, job search training assistance and help locating approved training and education providers and registering for programs.

Address:
Heritage Square Business Centre
1950 Pennsylvania Ave., McDonough, GA 30253

Hours of Operation:
Monday – Friday  8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m

Contact Information:
770-847-9082

WorkSource Atlanta Regional staff also provide a range of services for businesses seeking a skilled workforce, including training and skills development for new and existing employees, assistance with employee recruitment and data tools that provide insight into labor market trends.

In August 2013, the Academy for Advanced Studies (AAS) began serving students in grades 9-12 as a college and career academy. The mission of AAS  is to ensure each student graduates high school with the knowledge, skills and attributes necessary for college and career success. AAS produces many benefits for students, employers and the community-at-large, including increased high school graduation and college enrollment rates, higher levels of academic attainment, stronger preparation for high-skill, high-wage and high-demand careers, and greater potential for local economic development.

Recruitment Services

The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) serves over 400,000 Georgians who have experience, skills, and talents for Georgia employers. These qualified workers have skills ranging from clerical and administrative to skilled trades, technical, and professional. The GDOL helps facilitate the process of connecting employers with job vacancies to these qualified applicants by advertising job openings.

K-12 Education In Henry County

A quality educational system is a key component of any community’s quality of life infrastructure, and that is certainly the case in Henry County. Henry County Schools are committed to continuously reviewing and strengthening their academic programs to prepare students for high-skill, high-wage and high-demand careers.

With a population of approximately 42,000 students for the 2017-18 school year, Henry County Schools ranks as the 8th largest school system in Georgia. The district includes 50 schools: 28 elementary, 11 middle and 11 high.

With more than 5,000 employees on the payroll, our school system is also considered the largest business in Henry. Henry County Schools’ “business” is about providing children with the skills and knowledge to compete in the 21st century; to this end, the system is committed to recruiting and training top quality professional and support staff.

  • Henry County Schools are accredited by the Georgia Accrediting Commission (to 2019) and by AdvancED/Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (to 2016).
  • The Henry County Board of Education is recognized as a “Quality Board” for meeting the governance standards of the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA).

Henry County has an excellent educational system, with one of the top performing public school systems in the Atlanta Metro area along with several well regarded private schools.  Henry County is one of the first counties in the nation to employ technological advances to learning, having provided personal electronic learning devices to every student.

Academy for Advanced Studies (AAS)

In August 2013, the Academy for Advanced Studies (AAS) began serving students in grades 9-12 as a college and career academy. AAS has been approved by the local and state boards of education to operate as a charter program of choice.  The mission of AAS  is to ensure each student graduates high school with the knowledge, skills and attributes necessary for college and career success. AAS produces many benefits for students, employers and the community-at-large, including increased high school graduation and college enrollment rates, higher levels of academic attainment, stronger preparation for high-skill, high-wage and high-demand careers, and greater potential for local economic development.