Rockdale Career Academy students and programs were on display as bioscience industry and information technology leaders and college and career professionals from around the state came together for Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle’s seventh annual Business and Education Summit Thursday at RCA.
“First of all, Rockdale is the largest career and college academy in the state,” said Cagle, on why RCA was chosen to co-host this year’s summit. “We have seen tremendous success within the institution. Every year – this is our seventh year – we travel around the state doing our summit. It’s always done at a college and career academy. This year Rockdale was selected not only because of their size but also their excellence.”
The two-day summit focused on the bioscience industry in Georgia and healthcare information technology during panel discussions on Thursday at RCA and Georgia’s film industry on Friday hosted at the Newton College and Career Academy.
Thursday morning’s first discussion panel focused on the needs of Georgia’s bioscience industries. It’s an exciting time to be in the bioscience industry, said panelists, because of the impact it can have on people’s lives and the wider economy and the state’s commitment to grow the industry.
Panelists said while many might have the perception that bioscience is about research, about three-quarters of the jobs available are in the manufacturing side of bioscience. Milward said, “Our industry doesn’t function just with biologists. The maintenance folks are just as important as the biologists. If the machines don’t work, you don’t work.”
While science background and skills are important, soft skills such as being able to work in a team, communicate effectively and constantly learn and change are almost as important as the initial skill set students will emerge with after graduating from a two- or four-year college.
“We’re in a field that evolves very rapidly,” said Milward. Students need to “be prepared for change… It’s a bit of a cliché, but learning how to learn” is important.
Baxter is initially looking for people with 15-plus years of experience as the plant is being built and set up. However, Howerton said, in about a year or two, Baxter will be hiring for a wide variety of positions. “What we’re doing starting today, we’re looking for a variety of roles. We’re looking to hire nondegree individuals with a military background. We’re looking to establish strong relationships with technical colleges in the area.”
Thursday’s second panel focused on the healthcare IT industry. Panelists included Ryan Sloan, Chief Marketing Officer of Solo Health, Baha Zeidan, Co-founder and CEO of Azalea Health out of Valdosta, Shea Ross, PR/Marketing Specialist of the Georgia Partnership for TeleHealth, Dan Rivera, Area Director for Intel, and moderator Pat Williams, President, McKenzie Daniels & Associates and Institute for Healthcare Information Technology Board Chair.
“It’s an industry that is just exploding,” said Cagle. “Many of these jobs and organizations, we don’t always see it.”
The beauty of the IT field, said Cagle, is that “we’re no longer bound by bricks and mortar. The world is the marketplace today and it’s all because of technology.”
Some of the services and technologies offered included telehealth visits allowing patients access to specialists that would otherwise be difficult to reach, or biometric machines diagnosing customers at kiosks at grocery stores and big box stores, or the use of health data analytics to home in on a correct treatment for an ailment.
The IT panelists expressed the same importance for potential employees to have soft skills as well as their field’s hard skills.
“We could find people with technical skills but they didn’t have the people skills,” said Ryan Sloan. “It seems obvious but it’s actually very important - having that good attitude, being willing to roll up their sleeves.”
Cagle concluded Thursday’s discussions by emphasizing the power of CCAs in making education exciting and relevant for students and attractive to industry. He outlined his vision of having every Georgia student have access to a college and career academy. Currently there are 29 throughout the state, with three more in the works.
“If you make a workforce and an industry will come,” said Cagle.
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(Nov. 13, 2014) Rockdale Career Academy and Newton College and Career Academy are the hosts of Lt. Governor Casey Cagle's annual prestigious education summit this year, hosted by RCA on Thursday and NCCA on Friday.
The theme of the two-day summit, which brings together industy professionals, career education professionals and technical school professionals, is "“Prepare for impact– engage Georgia’s emerging industries."
The speakers and events on Thursday at RCA will focus on biosciences and information technology. The speakers and events on Friday at NCCA will focus on Georgia's film industry.
The speakers on both mornings, from 9 a.m. - noon, will be live streamed online by The News.
Here are the topics and speakers for the summit:
Lt. Governor's Business and Education Summit
“Prepare for impact– engage Georgia’s emerging industries”
Thursday, November 13 Agenda
Rockdale Career Academy– Conyers, Georgia
8:30am – 9:00am Registration and Refreshments
9:00am – 9:15am Welcome
9:15 am – 10:30am “Georgia Biosciences: Legacy and Growth” (LIVE STREAMED)
Description: What is the biosciences industry? What does it look like in Georgia? What does it take to be successful in this exciting field? Join us to learn about the biosciences industry in Georgia with global powerhouses Baxter, Merial and UCB. Be prepared to inspire and educate your students towards a successful career in this cutting-edge industry.
Panelists:
Casey Cagle, Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
Frank Milward, Senior Director BioDevelopment North America and Athens Bio R&D Site Leader, Merial
Ken Howerton, Senior Director Quality, Baxter Healthcare Corporation
Joe Zorzoli, Senior Director, Public Policy, UCB, Inc.
Moderator: Melissa Nikolic, Director of Programming, Georgia BioEd Institute
10:30am – 10:45am Break
10:45 am – 10:55am “State of Health IT” (LIVE STREAMED)
Description: Georgia is often referred to as the nation's health IT capital and is at the forefront of consumer digital health. There are over 250 health IT companies in Georgia and that number continues to rise. Join us as Tino Mantella sets the stage for our Health IT business panel.
Speaker: Tino Mantella, President, Technology Association of Georgia
10:55am – 11:45am “Georgia Health IT: Innovations Shaping Today’s Industry” (LIVE STREAMED)
Description: How is Health IT impacting education and the economy in the state of Georgia? Join us as we discuss innovations in healthcare, trends in health and wellness, electronic medical records, and access to care through telemedicine.
Panelists:
Ryan Sloan, Chief Marketing Officer, Solo Health
Baha Zeidan, Co-founder and CEO, Azalea Health
Shea Ross, PR/Marketing Specialist, Georgia Partnership for TeleHealth
Dan Rivera, Area Director, Intel
Moderator: Pat Williams, President, McKenzie Daniels & Associates and Institute for Healthcare Information Technology Board Chair
11:45am – 1:15pm Networking Lunch
1:15pm – 1:30pm “Partners That Matter”
Description: Join us as we highlight bridge builders that have helped College and Career Academies grow!
Speakers:
Casey Cagle, Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
Mark Peevy, Executive Director for Secondary Initiatives, Technical College System of Georgia
Matthew Gambill, Director, Georgia Association Career Technical Agriculture Education
Jabari Simama, (Requested) President, GA Piedmont Technical College
Ron Jackson, (Confirmed) Commissioner, Technical College System of GA
1:30pm – 2:15pm Lt. Governor Cagle Keynote Presentation and Awards
Description: Join Lt. Governor Cagle as he makes his 2014 Business and Education Summit keynote address and presents the 2014 Business and Education Summit Awards to the Career Academy of the Year and Business Partner of the Year.
2:15pm – 2:45pm “Engaging Today’s Students for Workforce Success”
Description: Join Lt. Governor Cagle for an exciting, interactive discussion with current students as they discuss their future goals and give their advice to future educators!
Student Panelists
Moderator: Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle
2:45 Closing Remarks presented by RCA CEO Dr, Miki Edwards
3:00pm – 4:00pm Breakout Sessions: “Connecting with Educators: How Emerging Technologies Partner for Workforce Needs” – Learn ideas that can be taken back to the classroom!
Breakout 1: “School Based Health Clinics” presented by Georgia Partnership for TeleHealth
Description: Listen to a heartbeat in Ware County! Learn what innovative techniques can be used in the classroom to deliver health related services using telecommunications and related technologies. Also see a live telemedicine demo highlighting how telemedicine can better students’ mental and physical health.
Presenter: Shea Ross, PR/Marketing Specialists, Georgia Partnership for TeleHealth
Breakout 2: “Human Resources: At Your Service” presented by Georgia Biosciences
Description: What do the hiring prospects look like at some of Georgia’s most dynamic bioscience companies? Come talk to HR representatives from Baxter and UCB (global pharmaceutical company) and SKC Leadership Partners, LLC (biosciences human resource experts). Help prepare your students for a future in biosciences.
Presenters: Erika Williams, Senior Human Resources Manager, Baxter Healthcare Corporation
Jody Russell, Human Resources Representative, UCB, Inc.
Sheila Carmichael, President, SKC Leadership Partners, LLC
Breakout 3: “Education and Industry: How to make it Work” presented by Georgia BioEd Institute
Description: Come learn about the Georgia BioEd Institute (the education and workforce division of the state life sciences trade organization Georgia Bio). Meet the Director of Programming and learn how you can partner with industry to provide your students with the skills and opportunities needed to succeed in the biosciences in Georgia.
Presenter: Melissa Nikolic, Director of Programming, Georgia BioEd Institute
Breakout 4: “Electronic Medical Records” presented by Azalea Health
Description: Learn how to access electronic medical records on your everyday devices such as your iPad, devices that can easily be used in the classroom to introduce students to new cloud-based solutions being developed in Health IT!
Presenter: Baha Zeidan, Co-founder and CEO, Azalea Health
Breakout 5 (Mobile Van Parked In Front of Academy): “A Lab on Wheels” presented by Intel
Description: Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to utilize the Education Vehicle as PowerUpEdu showcases one on one computing with their mobile learning lab!
Presenter: Dan Rivera, Area Director, Intel
5:00pm – 7:00pm Triple Horse Tours – Limited to the first 100 registrants.
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Friday, November 14 Agenda
Newton College and Career Academy– Covington, Georgia
8:30am – 9:00am Registration and Refreshments
9:00am – 9:15am Welcome and Introductory Remarks (LIVE STREAMED)
Georgia’s Film Industry facilitated by Misty Holcomb, Studio and Infrastructure Alliance
9:15am – 9:30am “Why Georgia?” (LIVE STREAMED)
Description: Film and TV production professionals know that Georgia is a Camera Ready state. Join us as we discuss Georgia’s highly desirable financial incentives, location diversity, production resources and professional support that makes any size production a true success.
Speaker: Lee Thomas, Deputy Commissioner, Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment, Georgia Department of Economic Development
9:30am – 10:00am “What is Going on at all of these Studios?” (LIVE STREAMED)
Description: Georgia is one of the top five production destinations in the country! Join us as we discuss what the film industry is doing in Georgia with two of our most prominent studios.
Speakers: Karl Horstmann, Triple Horse Studios
Kris Bagwell, Executive Vice President, EUE/Screen Gems Studios Atlanta
10:00am – 10:15am “I Want to Do That!” (LIVE STREAMED)
Description: Join us for a discussion on how the technical colleges are training students for the film industry.
Speaker: Scott Votaw, Southern Crescent Technical College
10:15am – 10:30am Film Industry Questions and Answers (LIVE STREAMED)
10:30am – 10:45am Break
10:45am – 11:15am “College and Career Academies Innovation 101: A look at Newton County’s Entrepreneur Program” (LIVE STREAMED)
Description: Join Newton County Academy leaders as they discuss their entrepreneur program. Hear students’ success stories and tour their program area!
Speaker: Jerry Rutberg
11:15am Closing Remarks presented by Newton College & Career Academy
11:30am Newton College and Career Academy Tour
Summit Concludes
