Georgia AIM Project innovative initiatives providing students career training and technology

MOULTRIE, Ga. – The Georgia AIM Project expands its reach to South Georgia.

The project is a statewide initiative comprising of 16 projects, focused on the equitable development and deployment of artificial intelligence innovations and talent for the manufacturing sector.

“Our project is a Southwest Georgia Ecosystem Building Project. And, we are trying to build up ecosystems. In four major areas that supply chain and logistics. K-12 and / or workforce development, agriculture and food production, and then entrepreneurship and innovation. And, through that we have different projects that are happening all within our service region,” said Beka Shiver, SWGARC Economic Development & Transportation Planner.

Beka Shiver, Economic Development and Transportation Planner for the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission, discusses the various initiatives that Georgia aim plans to introduce to the K-12 sector in Southwest Georgia.

“We are building out a major digital hub framework that is going to center around ten different types of disasters because down here in Southwest Georgia, we all know it’s not if another disaster strikes, it’s when. We’re also looking at cyberattacks. We’re looking at chemical minerals, flooding of course, wind of course. But, it’s going to be the major disasters that really impact the region, both from a physical standpoint as well as an economic standpoint,” said Shiver.

Colquitt County High School is one of four schools awarded the CTAE grant aimed at upgrading learning equipment and software to facilitate more advanced technology at the K-12 level.

“Here at Colquitt County High School, where we are today, they received one grant for three programs. One is an automated table which is going to be used for their anatomy classes. Firefighters are called in for automobile accidents. They’re called in for chemical spills there. They’re called in just to reach high places. And, so, we’re very excited that here at Colquitt County High School, they took the forefront to go ahead and get some some training simulators in for their students,” said Shiver.

These students will also have a career path available to them immediately upon graduation.

“The third piece of machinery they got is a heavy machinery equipment, heavy equipment simulator. And, so, every CTAE student is going to have the opportunity to get to work heavy machinery equipment and be able to take that certification as they get it to the job site, to the manufacturer, and be able to use it immediately,” said Shiver.

Beka Shiver states that her goal is to ensure that every community in South Georgia has access to these opportunities.

“Sometimes we get overlooked being down here in the pocket of Georgia. And, my goal is to be the conduit to make sure that all of those different programs that are happening across the state also get funneled down here into Southwest Georgia. To make sure that all of those programs come down here to southwest Georgia so that our community members, our future workers, our current workers all have the skills and the abilities and the exposure to learning and being able to utilize, you know, all these different programs,” said Shiver.

De’Andra Jacobs reporting.

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