According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, metro Atlanta has become a “jobs Mecca,” having added more than 480,000 new jobs since the Great Recession.

What has separated metro Atlanta’s growth compare to fellow peers Dallas, Nashville, and Houston is the type of jobs being added.

Around 40 percent of the 480,000+ jobs are office occupying, which tends to mean higher paying. That’s higher than the national average of 30 percent.

One particular quote from the story that stuck out to me was this one, from JLL Chief Economist Ryan Severino:

“In the 21st century, you’re going to need sophisticated, educated workers to have a strong economy. The workforce is going to be competitive and ruthless. And, if you don’t have the skill set to compete, you are going to be left behind.”

This is what we always talk about here, the need for skills. Now, Severino might have been talking about skills that translate more to working with software, but the line of thinking translates to

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blue-collar jobs, too.

If you want to be a mechanic in the 21st century you’re going to need to know how to run the computers that diagnose the problems. If you want to excel in manufacturing you’re going to have to master the latest technology used to run the factory floors.

If you want a career in healthcare you’re going to need the training and certifications the industry demands.

There isn’t an industry in America that isn’t relying more on technology, and that means hard skills are going to be necessary for success.

And what do we often say when talking about hard skills in this space? We tell you to visit the Technical College System of Georgia. TCSG is among the best-kept secrets in the state, and the curriculum taught is exactly what industry leaders say they need in a workforce.

Check out all of the programs offered by the TCSG member institutions. Don’t think a college is close to you? You’d be surprised. Check out the list of where each campus is located and find the one that best fits your needs.

If you want skills… real, tangible skills that stay with you forever, you need to check out the programs at TCSG.