- Athens' workforce is not competitive and lacks needed skills.
- There is a deficit of "soft" skills (i.e. interviewing, timeliness, communication and commitment). Soft skills are considered by some employers as the most valuable skills.
- There is a deficit of "hard" skills (i.e. reading, writing, math, technical skills).
- Language barriers including literacy and English as a Second Language limit job advancement.
- Sufficient resources are lacking to meet the training needs of the workforce.
- There is a need for increased vocational and technical training resources for adults and teenagers.
- Lack of transportation, lack of child care, lack of job skills, lack of employment information, lack of immigration documentation, substance abuse and life-work balance issues can be barriers to seeking and gaining full employment.
Recurring Themes and Challenges
- The notion that there exists a welfare system that "pays people not to work" is a myth. Welfare reform has required that low income families with dependent children must be transitioning to employment in order to receive benefits.
- The total number of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families cases in Clarke County has decreased by 40% over the past two years.
- High levels of poverty are a burden to those who live in poverty and work to undermine the economy of the entire community.
- Our institutions and systems have failed to develop collaborative strategies that adequately address the challenges of poverty.
- There is a culture of poverty in Athens that passes from generation to generation.
- There is little innovation in developing new programs, opportunities and collaborations to break the cycle of poverty.
- A good education is one of the major factors in helping to overcome poverty.
- An incomplete education -- lack of high school diploma, GED, literacy in English, workforce skills, etc. -- is a serious challenge to decreasing poverty in Athens.
- Persons who drop out of school have few job options in Athens-Clarke County.
- Athens has an unskilled workforce that is a barrier to economic development.
- There is a lack of effective coordination and collaboration among faith-based organizations, non-profits, schools, universities and government agencies.
- There are serious problems getting information to the public about existing assistance programs.
- There is a lack of specialized support for immigrant populations.
- There are gaps in services.
- Effective strategies to address racism and class issues are lacking.
- In Athens-Clarke County the consequences of poverty fall mostly on African Americans and, increasingly, on our growing Latino population.
- There is a hesitancy, by all races, to have honest dialogue about the impact of race and class as they relate to poverty.
- There are disincentives built into various systems that make it difficult to break the poverty cycle.