Combining an infrastructure of an excellent diverse workforce that is anchored by a world-class educational support system continues to be a trademark of DeKalb County and the State of Georgia. Sustaining a competent labor pool through such support is only balanced by the need to attract businesses willing to pay a living wage, or, vice-versa, to enable employees to perform at or above benchmarked standard skills. Education and employee training is the key and certainly a top priority in the Metro Atlanta area.

The metro area is home to over 30 accredited colleges and universities and eight technical institutes offering over 500 distinct programs of study. Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Georgia State University, and the Atlanta University Center consistently rank among the highest in the nation in various disciplines. According to the Atlanta Regional Consortium for Higher Education (ARCHE) this region ranks sixth nationally for students enrolled full-time in area colleges and universities and total degrees conferred. The area also ranks near the top for degrees conferred in many subjects; for instance, ranking second for degrees conferred in engineering and related technologies and fourth in computer and information sciences.

The partnership between the academic and the corporate entities gives this region a formidable workforce.

Consider, for example, programs like QuickStart, ICAPP and the Workforce Center, major programs in the State that help forge partnerships between companies that are in need of well trained employees. Other programs also focus on preparing core competencies needed to fill critical need positions in Telecommunication, Bio-technology, various industry manufacturing sectors, medical and many more.

This region is also ranked highly among R&D expenditures nationally. Such centers include, Yamacraw, the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), the Georgia Center for Advanced Telecommunications Technology (GCATT), the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), and the Bio-technology Development Center (BDC), the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Beyond these efforts, addressing the needs of unemployed, DeKalb County residents as well as those experiencing transition based on current economic or world factors, is an important part in the development of the workforce. The creation of the DeKalb Workforce Center, spearheaded by DeKalb County, integrates public, private and not-for-profit entities to provide practical solutions and positive assistance in supplementing the qualified workforce for area businesses. The Workforce Center and staff operate in partnership with the Economic Development Department to stay abreast of the latest trends and business's workforce needs.