DALTON, Ga. — If Georgia’s rural areas are to grow and thrive economically, creating a workforce with the skills needed in the 21st century will be vital, several speakers told members of the state House Rural Development Council Wednesday during a meeting at Dalton’s convention center.

The council, comprised of members of the House of Representatives, was created earlier this year to look at ways to boost economic growth in the state’s rural areas. House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, says rural development will be one of his top priorities in next year’s legislative session.

Brian Cooksey, director of operations training and development at Shaw Industries, briefed council members on how in Whitfield County representatives of industry, the local school systems, Dalton State College and Georgia Northwestern Technical College are working together to provide students with the skills that industry needs.

He said that up until a few years ago, Dalton State College was serving as both a technical college and a university.

“They did a really good job. But that’s a tough situation,” he said.

Cooksey said leaders at Dalton State, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and local leaders worked together to allow the college to focus on its core strength as a university and to create programs in areas of demand by the floorcovering industry, such as bachelor of applied science in chemistry.

The next step in that process is creating a bachelor of science degree in environmental sustainability, which could provide students with skills increasingly demanded by the floorcovering industry, whose customers want “green” products.

“That is a program that we are working on. We haven’t officially submitted it for approval yet,” said Dalton State College President Margaret Venable.

The next step, Cooksey said, was getting a campus of Georgia Northwestern in Whitfield County. Whitfield County Schools offered space inside the Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy and local industry provided equipment.

“That was a tremendous victory for our community,” he said.

Demand for classes at that site grew, and earlier this year Georgia Northwestern broke ground for its own building on the campus of the career academy. Again, local industry and government as well as Dalton Utilities came together to speed the process along, providing in-kind aid for building and equipping the site.

State Sen. Chuck Payne, R-Dalton, who sat in on some of the proceedings, said he was happy to hear how much cooperation is going on.

“We are working together here, and I hope that what we are doing can be expanded on in other places,” he said.

Council members also heard, among other things, about how officials in Coweta County have worked with the German American Chamber of Commerce to create the first German-style apprenticeship program in the United State. The program combines work experience with local businesses, high school classes and technical college classes to train students to become industrial mechanics. Students who complete the program can enter the workforce earning $40,000 or more.

Rep. Rick Jasperse, R-Jasper, a member of the council, said the presentations they heard in Dalton and in other cities where the council has met should result in new legislation next year.

“We want to see what we can do to make it easier for our citizens to get the education and the skills they need to succeed,” he said. “Education is the key to a better life and the key to a higher income. We want all of Georgia to succeed, not just metro Atlanta.”