Electrical Industry History Made! IEC Atlanta Chapter Gets SB 180 Bill Signed!

By:Niel Dawson, IEC Atlanta/GA Chapter Executive Director

On Monday, April 28th, Mahsa Poorak, IEC Government Affairs Chair, IEC Lobbyist Joel Wiggins, and Executive Director Niel Dawson attended the SB 180 billing signing ceremony at the Grand Hyatt, Buckhead, with Governor Kemp. Many other state Senators and Representatives attended, including the Bill sponsor, Senator Clint Dixon, House Speaker Jon Burns, and Chair of the Higher Education Committee Max Burns.

SB 180 is the first bill IEC has introduced, and the legislature praised it. It allows apprenticeship sponsors registered with the US Department of Labor to apply for grant funding. Previously, only employers were permitted to apply for funding from the state.  The Technical College System of Georgia administers the funding, just as all workforce funding flows.  SB 180 was one of three bills signed at the ceremony that support workforce training.

“As the No.-1 state for business, Georgia has seen record-breaking jobs and investment come to communities in every part of the state,” Kemp said. “With the bills I signed today, we’re taking further steps to prepare Georgians to walk through those open doors.”

Dawson expressed that introducing, spearheading, getting this bill signed, and being present for the signing are among the high points of his career.  The next step is working with the legislature and the Technical College System of Georgia to increase funding for the High Demand Apprenticeship Program.