Coastal Pines enrollment flat
May 18—Enrollment numbers are slightly down during the spring semester at Coastal Pines Technical College.
Pete Snell, vice president for economic development at Coastal Pines, said the summer semester just start and enrollment remains flat.
He told the audience at Wednesday's Southeast Georgia Joint Development Authority meeting that employers in the region are dealing with the shortage of workers by enrolling employees in courses at the college and "skilling them up."
Employers are also offering apprentice programs in an attempt to recruit more workers.
"Everything is more pronounced now," Snell said of the job market.
A representative from BrightNight, a renewable power solutions company, explained an ongoing project, called Pepper Hammock.
Francesca Metcalf, the company's development manager, said the project near Hortense is one the company's largest projects.
The solar farm will be operational by the end of 2026 on more than 9,500 acres. Metcalf said Georgia Power has shown interest in the project, and BrightNight officials plan to submit a proposal to the energy provider sometime this year.
Construction of the solar farm is expected to create 126 jobs and another 393 jobs indirectly associated with the project. Wages and benefits are estimated at more than $23 million.
Once the solar farm is operational, it will create 57 jobs directly and indirectly associated with the project, with annual wages and benefits estimated at more than $2.5 million annually.
The project is scheduled to have a 40-year life span and 99% of the project materials will be recycled, Metcalf said.
