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Building the Resilience of Georgia’s Green Industry

Extension Education

Tripp Williams
County Extension Coordinator
University of Georgia
Appling

Abstract

Within the state of Georgia, the Green Industry is an 11 billion dollar industry employing over 110,000 individuals. As the COVID-19 pandemic forced property owners to work from home, the demand for services from Georgia’s Green Industry surged. Landscaping and tree care companies, nurseries and other Green Industry businesses needed specialized training to help safely increase their capacity, while building resilience to current and future changes of the industry. The Columbia County Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent partnered with UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, and the UGA Small Business Development Center to provide online training to landscaping and tree care companies, nurseries and other Green Industry businesses to help safely increase their capacity, while building resilience to current and future change.

From January-March 2021, three webinars were hosted in a series aimed at helping small businesses enhance their adaptability and resilience while meeting this increased demand with a healthy, well-trained workforce. The “Managing Shocks and Disruptions to the Green Industry: COVID-19 and Beyond” webinar series covered impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Georgia’s Green Industry and offered strategies for strengthening financial resilience to disruptions or change. The live webinars were attended by 76 people, and the webinar recordings have been viewed 161 times on YouTube.

The project team developed and launched a Green Industry Certification and Training Portal, which contains interactive study tools, knowledge quizzes and educational videos for the Georgia Certified Landscape Professional Program, Georgia Certified Plant Professional Program and SuperCrew Online Training Course. This online platform provides convenient virtual access to study materials for the programs. The project team additionally accepted applications for no-cost registration to the virtual trainings contained in the Green Industry Certification and Training Portal. In July 2021, 46 individuals from 29 companies in Georgia were accepted in the Georgia Certified Landscape Professional (GCLP) (20 individuals from 19 companies received grant-sponsored access), Georgia Certified Plant Professional (GCPP) (15 individuals from 13 companies received grant-sponsored access), and the UGA Supercrew Program (11 individuals from 8 companies received grant-sponsored access). These participants work for organizations located in 21 counties in Georgia.

Poster has NOT been presented at any previous NACAA AM/PIC

This poster is being submitted for judging. It will be displayed at the AM/PIC if not selected as a State winner. The abstract will be published in the proceedings.

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Authors: Tripp Williams
  1. Williams, T. County Extension Coordinator, Project Team Member, Georgia, 30802