On Monday, August 25th, the MAX Collaborative Council – an advisory council of senior leaders in workforce – convened to hear from Melissa Johnson, Chief of Policy and State Strategies, with the National Skills Coalition, and Staci Fox, President & CEO, with the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI). Council members gathered to hear about recent federal funding and policy shifts and their implications for our state and region. Special thanks to Goodwill of North Georgia for hosting this convening.
The National Skills Coalition has been reviewing the ins and outs of the “megabill” or “reconciliation bill” since it was passed by Congress in July 2025, a bill that impacts workforce development programs as well as programs that support workers and their families. For example, explained Johnson, the bill signals that individuals should be working and or training for in-demand jobs, expands work requirements for SNAP recipients, and creates work requirements for Medicaid recipients. The bill also shifts administrative burdens for SNAP to the states. Johnson also pointed to a major policy advancement in the bill from a workforce perspective: making Pell Grants available for short-term, career-focused programs (i.e., programs comprised of at least 6 weeks and 800 clock hours, beginning in July 2026. More information on these and other policy developments can be found via the National Skills Coalition’s website at https://nationalskillscoalition.org/.
Following Johnson’s review, Fox provided a primer on Georgia’s state budget and fiscal trends, trends GBPI closely monitors and analyzes. Fox highlighted the state’s strong year-over-year fiscal position and opportunities to leverage state reserves and other funding surpluses to further support programs for Georgia households. For example, GBPI sees a critical need to shift more funds to the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. More information on GBPI’s research and analysis can be found at https://gbpi.org/.
ABOUT THE MAX COLLABORATIVE COUNCIL
The MAX Collaborative Council is comprised of senior-level workforce leaders (CEOs, Directors, Senior Managers) who represent the local workforce boards, nonprofit community-based organizations, technical colleges, state agencies, employers, chambers of commerce, intermediaries, and other key partners in workforce. Members of this council come together to jointly do the following:
- Develop and pursue collaborative strategies for addressing regional issues
- Learn more about who is doing what, where, and for whom
- Explore common issues and opportunities, and share ideas for building solutions
- Make new connections and catalyze partnerships, and
- Keep each other updated and informed on ways we can help each other.
