In 2010, Area Development magazine gave leading site location consultants a list of factors they consider most important in making a decision about where to build a business and create jobs.  One of those key factors was workforce training programs. The magazine, a leading publication covering economic development topics, asked the consultants to pick the best state in each category.

In that first survey, Georgia Quick Start, the state’s customized workforce training program, won Georgia the No. 1 spot in that category.

Quick Start did it again in 2011.

And again in 2012.

And again, every year since.

The latest survey, published by Area Development in September 2024, has Quick Start once more cited as the best customized workforce training program in the U.S.

Fifteen surveys. Fifteen wins in the category of Workforce Training Programs.

“States that excel in this category have invested heavily in customized training programs that meet the specific needs of businesses and industries,” wrote the magazine’s editors. “Leading the charge in workforce training is Georgia, thanks to its highly acclaimed Georgia Quick Start program.”

Georgia Quick Start is a program within the Technical College System of Georgia that offers customized workforce training to qualified companies as a discretionary incentive to support investment and job creation in the state.

Area Development’s annual ranking of states is considered the gold standard when it comes to assessing the appeal of the different states. It is the only ranking based on a survey of the site location professionals who actually play a role in selecting where money will be invested and jobs created.

Georgia No. 1 State for Doing Business

The State of Georgia climbed to the No. 1 spot overall as the Best State for Doing Business. This year’s survey marks the 11^th year in a row that Georgia has earned its way to the top.

“For the eleventh consecutive year,” wrote the magazine’s editor Andy Greiner, “Georgia claims the top spot, a testament to its robust pro-business environment. The Peach State’s consistent performance across various categories makes it a perennial favorite for businesses looking to expand or relocate.”

Greiner also highlighted Quick Start’s role in helping establish the state’s reputation.

“A key factor in Georgia’s sustained success is its nationally acclaimed workforce development program, Georgia Quick Start,” Greiner wrote. “This program has been pivotal in attracting companies that require tech-savvy workers with specific skills, bolstering the state’s competitive labor market.”

Read the press release from Gov. Brian Kemp about the 2024 survey.