Business View Civil and Municipal | April/May 2022

72 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 freese.com ENGINEERING / ARCHITECTURE / PLANNING ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE / PROGRAM MANAGEMENT CONSTRUCTION SERVICES INNOVATIVE APPROACHES PRACTICAL RESULTS OUTSTANDING SERVICE town, it works hard to educate its future workforce. This past summer, the city launched its inaugural Youth Connect Summer Program, which offered high school students paid internships within city departments. The Mayor reports, “We had kids working in every area from human resources to accounting; it gave them real on the job experience. We’re serious about preparing our young people to become great workforce leaders and assets.” The city also offers Georgia Southern students a similar opportunity through the Smart Community Corps Summer Internships program. Six months ago, the Development Authority of Bulloch County, The Bulloch County Board of Education, and the Ogeechee Technical College got together to create The Bulloch County Workforce Development Plan. “It helps students, starting in seventh grade, to understand all the job opportunities available to them. It’s an exciting program that incorporates worksite Love UR City capital campaign to support local businesses impacted by COVID.” Both Thompson and Mayor McCollar believe residents care about a community they feel at home in. That’s why it’s essential that downtown Statesboro welcomes everyone of all ages and backgrounds. Especially with so many students aged 18 to 25, there’s a vibrancy to the downtown core, and things are only gearing up to further improve. The recently completed Downtown Statesboro Master Plan aims to attract even more prospective students, small businesses, and retirees. One suggested method is by creating a downtown destination location. “It could be an entertainment venue or hotel; anything that will bring traffic,” says Mayor McCollar. “A traffic problem means lots of people downtown visiting thriving businesses. It’s exciting.” Since Statesboro is predominately a college