Georgia Department of Labor
Encyclopedia
The Georgia Department of Labor is an administrative agency of the state of Georgia
. With approximately 4,000 employees in 2008, it provides services to the state's current and emerging workforce.
, was elected in 2010.
issues.
With passage of the WIA, the Department of Labor became responsible for providing workforce development services to employers and workers through comprehensive career centers, which take the place of traditional unemployment offices. As of 2008 the department operated fifty-three career centers in Georgia, providing the state's job seekers with information about training and educational resources, as well as financial aid and other support. The Technical College System of Georgia
, in partnership with the Department of Labor, administers career center
s on each of the system's campuses around the state.
In addition to providing such workforce services as assistance in claiming unemployment benefits, finding a job, training for a job, or surviving a layoff, the Department of Labor also provides support services through a program called GoodWorks. The program helps applicants and recipients of TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), as well as noncustodial parent
s, prepare for, find, and maintain employment. The department also supervises the state's vocational rehabilitation services, including the operation of the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, which treats patients with post-polio symptoms, spinal cord injuries, stroke
s, and other disabilities. Furthermore, the department administers the Business Enterprise Program and Georgia Industries for the Blind; both programs offer services for citizens with visual impairments.
Through its safety engineering division, the Department of Labor conducts safety inspections and offers workplace safety programs. This division is also responsible for collecting data on workplace injuries that occur in Georgia. The child labor division administers and monitors restrictions for employees less than eighteen years of age and also helps to create summer jobs for youth in communities where suitable jobs are scarce. In 2007 the department provided $1 million to create jobs for 830 children between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one.
, which familiarizes Georgia citizens with the services available through the department and its workforce partners. The 2007 job fair, broadcast on television, radio, and the Internet, focused on the department's assistance services to displaced workers, particularly those affected by plant closures and natural disasters.
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. With approximately 4,000 employees in 2008, it provides services to the state's current and emerging workforce.
History
The department was originally created in 1911 and called the Department of Commerce and Labor. It was tasked with overseeing labor laws and safety regulations. The passage of the Wagner-Peyser Act in 1935, which established a nationwide system of public employment offices, led to the creation of the Department of Labor in 1937. The state labor commissioner, an elected official, oversees the department. The current commissioner, Mark ButlerMark Butler
Mark Christopher Butler has been the Australian Labor Party representative for the electoral division of Port Adelaide in north-western Adelaide, South Australia since the 2007 federal election, succeeding prior Labor MP Rod Sawford....
, was elected in 2010.
Administrative mission
Today the Department of Labor administers the state's workforce programs, including unemployment insurance, employment service, and vocational rehabilitation, and carries out the requirements of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998, an initiative designed to promote employment opportunities and job training using federal funds. The department is also charged with providing workforce information to the public and private sectors and for administering laws governing work conditions, employee safety, and child laborChild labor
Child labour refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labour. This practice is considered exploitative by many international organizations and is illegal in many countries...
issues.
With passage of the WIA, the Department of Labor became responsible for providing workforce development services to employers and workers through comprehensive career centers, which take the place of traditional unemployment offices. As of 2008 the department operated fifty-three career centers in Georgia, providing the state's job seekers with information about training and educational resources, as well as financial aid and other support. The Technical College System of Georgia
Technical College System of Georgia
The Technical College System of Georgia , formerly known as the Department of Technical and Adult Education , is the body which supervises the U.S...
, in partnership with the Department of Labor, administers career center
Career Center
The Career Center is a high school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It offers an extension to the regular high school program. Classes offered include Advanced Placement courses, career and technical education courses, as well as English and other classes too small to be held at the...
s on each of the system's campuses around the state.
In addition to providing such workforce services as assistance in claiming unemployment benefits, finding a job, training for a job, or surviving a layoff, the Department of Labor also provides support services through a program called GoodWorks. The program helps applicants and recipients of TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), as well as noncustodial parent
Noncustodial parent
A "noncustodial parent" is a parent who does not have physical and/or legal custody of his/her child by court order.A "child-custody determination" means a judgment, decree, or other order of a court providing for the legal custody, physical custody, or visitation with respect to a child. The term...
s, prepare for, find, and maintain employment. The department also supervises the state's vocational rehabilitation services, including the operation of the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, which treats patients with post-polio symptoms, spinal cord injuries, stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
s, and other disabilities. Furthermore, the department administers the Business Enterprise Program and Georgia Industries for the Blind; both programs offer services for citizens with visual impairments.
Through its safety engineering division, the Department of Labor conducts safety inspections and offers workplace safety programs. This division is also responsible for collecting data on workplace injuries that occur in Georgia. The child labor division administers and monitors restrictions for employees less than eighteen years of age and also helps to create summer jobs for youth in communities where suitable jobs are scarce. In 2007 the department provided $1 million to create jobs for 830 children between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one.
Data collection
Workforce information provided by the Department of Labor includes industry data, labor force and unemployment statistics, occupational trends, and general economic information. The department also holds an annual televised job fair, in conjunction with Georgia Public BroadcastingGeorgia Public Broadcasting
Georgia Public Broadcasting is the public broadcasting radio and television state network in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is operated by the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission....
, which familiarizes Georgia citizens with the services available through the department and its workforce partners. The 2007 job fair, broadcast on television, radio, and the Internet, focused on the department's assistance services to displaced workers, particularly those affected by plant closures and natural disasters.