Success Ready
The Greater Columbus Georgia Success Ready program is the region’s Cradle-to-Career (C2C) Initiative. This effort is a direct result of the region’s Columbus 2025 strategic plan, which identified Talented Educated People as one of the five Action Areas to reduce poverty, increase prosperity and improve the overall quality of life for all who call the region “home.”
The Success Ready model was developed by local educators, business leaders and civic-minded stakeholders to address the needs of our region’s current and future employers. It identifies four areas of focus to ensure a pipeline of workers ready for the projected job creation for the next decade and beyond.
School Ready
This focus area looks at the birth through Pre-Kindergarten ages. The goal is to increase literacy preparedness for pre-school students entering kindergarten measured by the number of Quality-Rated child care centers and by the number of children enrolled in Pre-K programs.
Attainment Ready
Kindergarten through 7th grade is the focus of this segment of the program. The goal here is to increase student proficiency in literacy, reading, math and science. Success will be defined by meaningful progress on these fronts during the elementary and middle school years.
Graduation Ready
The focus of this segment of the program is 8th grade through credentialed. The goal is to increase high school graduation rates, post-high school preparedness, and increases in the number of certificates and degrees awarded.
Work Ready
Work Ready is the term chosen to prepare the region for the jobs of the 21st century. Improvements in annual median wages as compared to our peer communities and building and maintaining a top-tier workforce are the goals of this segment of the program. This will be accomplished by increasing talent pipelines, creating more apprenticeship programs, and identifying other business-educational partnerships.