Brian McGowan, President & CEO of Centennial Yards, gave 30+ workforce development partners an inside look at one of Atlanta’s most ambitious projects – and the jobs taking shape alongside it – during MAX Talks on Wednesday, October 14. McGowan walked participants through the Centennial Yards vision, pointing to projects already completed and others now underway.
As McGowan’s talk made clear, the 50-acre, mixed-use development is transforming a historic part of downtown Atlanta while creating significant economic opportunities. As office, residential, retail, hospitality, and entertainment spaces take shape, the multi-year buildout is creating construction jobs and is expected to support thousands of permanent jobs over time.
Brigitte Broyard McBee, Vice President of Business and Workforce Opportunity, shifted the conversation from the project’s big-picture vision to its immediate talent needs, including opportunities in the skilled trades and professional services. Her remarks prompted workforce partners to consider how their organizations could better align programs, services, and talent pipelines with the changing needs of employers connected to Centennial Yards.
After lunch, the group joined McBee for a windshield tour of the sprawling site, getting a firsthand look at its scale and the changes already reshaping downtown. The experience reinforced the session’s central message: major development projects and the workforce system must work closely together so Atlantans can access the opportunities ahead.
Special thanks to McBee and Dr. Theresa Austin-Gibbons, Commissioner of the Atlanta Department of Labor & Employment Services (ADOLES) and MAX board lead for MAX Talks, for making the discussion and site tour possible.
ABOUT MAX TALKS
Launched in 2014, the mission of MAX is to advance economic resilience in the Atlanta region by strengthening connections, collaborations, and practices among workforce developers and organizations engaged in workforce development. One impactful way we do this is through the MAX Talks.
Through MAX Talks, MAX seeks to provide opportunities for workforce developers to hear directly from employers about their current and emerging workforce needs. MAX Talks features the employers voice on industry changes, employee recruitment and retention, in-demand skills, worker experience, workplace quality, and more.
