Details About GOEWS

ABOUT US

Governor's Office of Education and Workforce Strategy

 

Effective July 1, 2026, the Governor's Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) has been reconstituted as the Governor's Office of Education and Workforce Strategy (GOEWS) under the Education and Workforce Strategy Act (HB 1302), signed into law by Governor Brian P. Kemp on May 11, 2026. GOEWS continues the vital mission of student achievement and accountability that has defined GOSA - ensuring Georgia's schools, students, and educators are measured, supported, and held to high standards. Building on that foundation, GOEWS takes on the additional responsibility of convening Georgia’s Education Agencies to forge a clear, navigable pathway from education to career- connecting what Georgians learn to the opportunities Georgia’s economy demands. 

Our Legacy: Building on GOSA's Foundation

GOSA served as Georgia's P-20 education agency - working to increase academic achievement and school completion across the state. GOSA's core contributions include:

  • GA AWARDS, the state’s Pre-K through workforce longitudinal data system, powering Georgia’s Annual Education Report Card and public data dashboards that give families, educators, and policymakers transparent access to data across agencies. 
  • Accountability designations, including the Beating the Odds, the Financial Efficiency Star Rating, and the Single Statewide Accountability System (SSAS) Awards- identifying schools and districts excelling or in need of support, and publicly recognizing those that demonstrate excellence and growth. Academic auditing, conducted under state law to verify the accuracy and integrity of school performance data. 
  • Policy research and evaluation, producing independent research and evaluation reports that inform education policy decisions from Pre-K through workforce
  • Gifted education through the Governor's Honors Program, the nation's longest-running residential high school summer program
  • Cross-agency coordination in support of the Georgia Council on Literacy and the state’s Vision 2030 Literacy plan

GOEWS carries forward all of GOSA's duties, programs, and responsibilities - education data accountability, school performance reporting, academic auditing, policy research and evaluation, and literacy initiative - while expanding its mission to address Georgia's workforce future.

 

Our Expanded Mission

Under HB 1302, GOEWS is now Georgia's lead state agency for coordinating education and workforce policy - serving as the connection between the Governor’s priorities and the state's education and workforce agencies. Our mission is to align education, training, and workforce development so that Georgia students, job seekers, and employers can all find exactly what they need.

 

Key Responsibilities Under HB 1302

Cross-Agency Education and Workforce Coordination

GOEWS convenes and coordinates Georgia's education and workforce agencies - including the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE), Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), University System of Georgia (USG), Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC), and Department of Labor (DOL), Professional Standards Commission (PSC), Department of Public Health, Georgia’s Literacy Taskforce, Georgia Municipal Association (GMA), Georgia Forward, Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy (DECAL), Georgia Southern Reading Center, Get Georgia Reading to align policy, planning, and investments around shared workforce goals.

Unified State Workforce Plan

GOEWS leads development of a single, unified state workforce plan that integrates the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) plan and the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act state plan. This eliminates redundancy across agencies and creates one coherent strategy for connecting Georgians to high-demand careers.

Career Navigation Platform

GOEWS is developing a statewide career navigation tool that will connect students, families, and job seekers to personalized education, training, and career resources. Built around the High Demand Career List, this tool will help every Georgian find the education and training path into high demand careers.

Education Data Governance Board

GOEWS convenes the Education Data Governance Board, which evolves the former Alliance of Education Agency Heads into more formal data governance structure. This board coordinates cross-agency data sharing and creates a single, integrated education and workforce data system - supporting public transparency and enabling Georgia's leaders to make evidence-based decisions.

State Workforce Development Board (SWDB)

The State Workforce Development Board is now attached to GOEWS, ensuring that workforce investment strategy and education policy are developed in concert. The SWDB oversees Georgia's High Demand Career List, regional workforce planning, and the return-on-investment framework for publicly funded workforce and education programs.

Our Partners

GOEWS works in close collaboration with partners across Georgia's education and workforce ecosystems.

Partners Supporting Education and Workforce Strategy

  • Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE)
  • Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG)
  • University System of Georgia (USG)
  • Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC)
  • Georgia Department of Labor (DOL)
  • State Workforce Development Board (SWDB)
  • Professional Standards Commission (PSC)
  • Department of Public Health
  • Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL)
  • Georgia’s Literacy Taskforce
  • Georgia Municipal Association (GMA)
  • Georgia Forward
  • Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy
  • Georgia Southern Reading Center
  • Get Georgia Reading