June 2025

People and partnerships power our work to collaborate and realize a skilled workforce, specifically for the Manufacturing Sector in Region 2 Georgia Mountains area. This month, we feature Stephen Wallace, Manufacturing Manager at ASI Group. As always, we’re here to support skilled workforce development opportunities and share regional and industry news.



-Shelley and Greg, Workforce Strategies Group LLC 

Meet our Partners

Stephen Wallace began with ASI 12 years ago and loves the company especially for its family focus and company culture. His journey with ASI didn't start out as you might expect.

"We’re expanding our footprint, investing in new equipment, and creating new opportunities across the board," he said.

Read the full article here.

Meet a few members of our training team

Kelly Grizzle | LinkedIn, Vice President of Human Resources at Performance Food Service, joined our HR training team in 2024, bringing a wealth of regional leadership experience. A dynamic executive, Kelly is known for fostering engaged workplace cultures and solving unsolvable problems. She leads SAIL training at Lanier Technical College’s Gainesville Campus and delivers customized sessions upon request.

Greg Chandler | LinkedIn, is a seasoned quality management professional with over 30 years of experience in manufacturing, auditing, and training across the automotive and industrial sectors. He is an ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence. Greg currently serves as an instructor at Lanier Technical College and North Georgia Technical College. He is known for building effective quality systems and mentoring future professionals.

SAIL Fall 2025 Lanier Technical College

Gainesville Campus

Tuesday's 8:00 - 12:00 Noon

July 29 - October 14

Registration is open for 48-hours of Supervisors and Leadership training over 12 weeks. Training is supported by WorkSource Georgia Mountains Incumbent Worker Training Funds (WIOA - IWT). Register for either location or contact us to discuss custom training.

LEAD Fall 2025

North Georgia Technical College Curahee - Toccoa Campus Thursday's 8:00 - 12:00 Noon August 14 - November 6

The State of Georgia surpassed $53.1 billion in exports (in 2024), a year-over-year increase of 6.4% that outpaced the national average of 2.3%. The state also moved up a rank to sixth in the United States for dollar value of trade, serving as a global gateway to facilitate more than $198.7 billion in trade to 222 unique countries and territories. #GaEconomics

Congrats to Gainesville High Work-Based Learning students who earned over $1.6 million earned in one school year. The program had 321 students enrolled this year and worked with over 175 business partners. #WBL

Javen began his career at ASI Group as the company’s first-ever Work-Based Learning (WBL) and just graduated from Kennesaw State University, where he has now completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering. #BuiltNotHired

Recently, Hart College and Career Academy´s held their Industry Signing Day!

Four students signed

and are joining their team to kickstart careers in manufacturing through hands-on training, mentorship, and real-world experience. #SigningDay

“AI is a tool. Tools have to be calibrated to operate efficiently. We need to teach our students how to calibrate AI,” said Tim McDonald, President, Lanier Technical College, at the recent #GA2050 meeting in Dahlonega. #workforcedevelopment

The Hall School District Work-Based Learning (WBL) program held its Employer Appreciation Lunch. Michelle Whitt, of ZF; Rodney Pressley, Hall County Schools; and Orbital Power Services Group were each honored. #WBL