“We get good access to talent here with [Georgia]’s university system. And we can draw talent globally into this area.” – Eric Hansotia | President and CEO, AGCO
Those are just some quick stats of the strengths of our Gwinnett school systems and how we are preparing our students to succeed in the workforce. But here’s the real question: How do we retain this highly skilled talent right here in Gwinnett County?
2026 STAR student and teacher honorees recognized at Partnership Gwinnett’s STAR Reception, celebrating academic excellence and the future of Gwinnett’s workforce pipeline.
A Growing Talent Gap – and Opportunity
According to the recent Metro Atlanta Chamber 2026 Talent Supply Report, there’s been a 12.4% increase in entry-level job postings over the past five years, yet Georgia still has more job openings than available workers.
The report also highlights two critical challenges:
- Skilled trades represent one of the largest talent gaps
- Employers increasingly prioritize soft skills like communication, adaptability, and problem-solving alongside technical expertise
At the same time, this isn’t a new investment. Georgia has supported more than 1.6 million early learners through its Pre-K system, building a long-term, intentional pipeline of talent. The takeaway? Georgia isn’t lacking talent; it’s working to better connect it.
Where the Pipeline Meets Opportunity
Leaders from Georgia’s education and workforce systems gathered at the 2025 Workforce Summit to discuss building stronger pathways from the classroom to careers.
Georgia is building one of the nation’s strongest talent pipelines from early education to higher ed. And in Gwinnett, that pipeline came to life in 2025 through a series of intentional, employer-driven initiatives led by Partnership Gwinnett—each designed to strengthen alignment between education and industry.
Throughout the year, the Talent Council convened key decision-makers from business and education, creating a consistent feedback loop to ensure curriculum and training programs reflect real workforce needs. Building on those conversations, the Workforce Forum brought together more than 100 employers to identify hiring challenges, skills gaps, and emerging trends—insights that directly shaped the programming and priorities of the Workforce Summit.
At the Workforce Summit, those ideas turned into action. Industry leaders, educators, and workforce partners gathered to explore solutions, share best practices, and advance innovative approaches to talent development—reinforcing Gwinnett’s commitment to a future-ready workforce. The valuable connections made drove high-level, peer-based networking across multiple sectors and industries.
At the same time, programs like Intern Mix focused on the next generation of talent, connecting students directly with one another and the Gwinnett-based employers they represent. The real-world exposure to career opportunities in Gwinnett highlighted how these early connections are critical, helping students build relationships, develop in-demand skills, and envision a future right here in the community.
That alignment starts even earlier. The Principal Field Trip gave Gwinnett County school leaders firsthand access to visit local industries, offering a deeper understanding of employer needs and career pathways. These insights help shape how students are prepared long before they enter the workforce.
Together, these initiatives created a full-circle approach to workforce development in 2025, one that connects classrooms to careers, employers to educators, and talent to opportunity. We know that in Gwinnett, talent development is intentional, collaborative, and built for impact.
Intern Mix: Turning Access into Retention
Interns mingle and build professional connections during Intern Mix, strengthening their ties to Gwinnett.
With more than 570,000 students enrolled across Georgia’s colleges and universities, the opportunity is clear: retaining Gwinnett and Georgia students requires intentional and strategic efforts.
That is where opportunities like the Intern Mix play a strong role. The incoming workforce wants to feel connected and be a part of the community where they live. The Intern Mix gathers young adults who are interning at companies in the Gwinnett region and brings them together for an evening of networking, learning about the business community, and interaction with other interns in the same stage of life.
This allows them to build relationships early on in their careers, strengthen awareness of the career pathways in Gwinnett, and equip students with real-world experience. The result is a strategic investment in talent retention, ensuring that the next generation of professionals not only start their careers in Gwinnett, but choose to stay and grow here.
Why Place Matters
Efforts to retain talent are also tied to placemaking and redevelopment across Gwinnett.
Areas like Gwinnett Place Mall—often searched as Gwinnett mall, Georgia Gwinnett mall, or Gwinnett County mall GA—are being reimagined through tools like tax allocation districts and other incentives to create vibrant, mixed-use environments where people can live, work, and connect.
These spaces support:
- Entrepreneurship through innovation hubs and entrepreneurship development centers
- Workforce accessibility and community engagement
- A stronger sense of place that encourages talent to stay
Supporting Employers Along the Way
For employers, attracting and retaining talent requires having the right tools, partnerships, and resources in place to build a sustainable workforce. In Gwinnett, businesses have access to a range of solutions designed to support hiring, reduce costs, and strengthen long-term talent pipelines.
Programs like the Work Opportunity Tax Credit—often accessed through a WOTC questionnaire or WOTC survey—allow employers to identify eligible candidates and receive federal tax credits, helping offset hiring costs while expanding access to diverse and untapped talent pools.
But Gwinnett’s advantage goes far beyond incentives. Through Partnership Gwinnett’s workforce initiatives, employers are directly connected to the talent pipeline. Additionally, Gwinnett’s strong partnerships with institutions like Gwinnett Technical College and Georgia Gwinnett College provide customized training programs, internships, and direct talent pipelines aligned with industry needs.
Layer in Georgia’s nationally recognized workforce programs, like Quick Start training, and employers benefit from a system designed to support growth at every stage.
From Access to Retention
While incentives and programs help employers attract talent, retention starts with connection. That’s where Intern Mix becomes a critical piece of the equation.
By engaging students early, before graduation, employers go beyond just filling roles and build relationships, strengthen brand awareness, and create a sense of belonging within the Gwinnett community.
Because when talent feels connected, they not only start their careers here, as they also choose to stay.
👉 Ready to connect with the next generation of talent? Learn more about Intern Mix and how to get involved.
