State labor commissioner Mark Butler announced Sept. 14 that the Top of Georgia Employer Committee has won the Georgia Employer Committee’s Spirit Award for 2012. Commissioner Butler presented the award on behalf of the state committee at its annual conference held recently in Savannah.

“The spirit of an organization can be put to the test when facing difficult challenges,” commissioner Butler said. “Whether working to ensure that people in an area with one of Georgia’s hardest hit economies get much-needed assistance, or successfully navigating re-organization, this committee has shown why it deserves this recognition.”

The employer committee, which serves Chattooga, Dade, Catoosa and Walker counties, won the award for its “steadfast determination in keeping the spirit in spite of unforeseen challenges and extraordinary circumstances.”

When the Georgia Department of Labor’s (GDOL) LaFayette and Northwest Georgia career centers merged, the members of the employer committees merged, too. They worked to develop a plan to best utilize a $10,000 grant from the Governor’s Workready Program to pay for General Education Diploma (GED) testing for qualified students, GED study guides for public libraries and GED software for Georgia Northwestern Technical College.

The Top of Georgia Employer Committee was one of six area employer committees to receive awards at the state employer conference. Employer committees are groups of business representatives who maintain a working relationship between employers and the GDOL. The committees provide input and guidance to the commissioner and department in the development of policy and legislation as it impacts employers and employees. The employer committees throughout the state work closely with their local GDOL career centers to promote the department’s services among employers and to identify and recommend ways to meet local and state employment-related needs.

To learn more about GDOL’s employer committees, visit dol.state.ga.us or call Georgia Employer Committee coordinator Vickie Henson at 404-232-7325.

Connect with the GDOL on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. All pages can be accessed at dol.state.ga.us.