News release, Oct. 25, 2006

Georgia

Department of Labor

NEWS RELEASE

SUITE 642



(404) 232-3685

148 INTERNATIONAL BOULEVARD, N.E.



ATLANTA, GA 30303-1751



FAX (404) 657-9996

Communications@dol.state.ga.us

Michael Thurmond
Commissioner

Sam Hall
Director of Communications

Oct. 25, 2006. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thurmond announces second annual Youth Workforce Conference in Athens
ATLANTA State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond announced today that the Georgia Department of Labor's second annual Youth Workforce Conference will be held Monday, Oct. 30, at the Classic Center in Athens. The event is being held in conjunction with the labor department's annual Workforce and Touch the Future/Transitions Conference, which will be held at the same site Oct. 31-Nov. 3.
"Our Youth Workforce Conference will underscore the importance of education and making wise choices in choosing a career," said Commissioner Thurmond. "It's critical that our youth be aware of the variety of careers open to them and the assistance available to help them make a successful transition from the classroom to the workplace. Events such as this conference often serve as life-changing moments for our young people, because the roads we show them can lead to open doors."
The theme of the youth conference is "It's Your Life: Choose Success!" The conference will be held from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. in the Classic Center Auditorium. More than 500 high school students from the Athens area are expected to attend. Among them will be students participating in Jobs for Georgia Graduates (JGG), the labor department's highly-successful school-to-work transition program, and the department's High School/High Tech program, a service that offers high school students with disabilities significant exposure to careers in science and technology.
Emory Smith, an adjunct professor of psychology and human development at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, will be the principal speaker during the morning session. He will lead an interactive session that teaches participants the value of making positive choices that will impact success in school, work, and families. During his career, Smith has worked with or spoken to more than 100,000 teenagers about personal leadership, self-esteem, peer pressure, substance abuse, and the development of life skills.
Another feature of the youth conference will be an ensemble of Full Radius Dance, a modern dance company that promotes, advances, and enhances the modern dance form for persons with disabilities and the general community.
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The dance company provides opportunities for children and adults with and without disabilities to experience a greater awareness of their artistic potential through dance. And, the dance company helps to foster acceptance, understanding, and inclusion of persons with disabilities in the performing arts.
The principal speaker in the afternoon session is Eddie Slowikowski, who will present an actionpacked multimedia presentation customized with music, dancing, and audience participation. Slowikowski is one of 300 Americans who has run the mile in under four minutes. He was the first person inducted into the Loyola University Athletic Hall of Fame in Chicago.
NEWS MEDIA NEEDING MORE INFORMATION MAY CALL (404) 232-3685. CY-06-476