The best managers and leaders can always seem to nip a problem in the bud before it actually becomes a problem. In Troup County, the numbers show that there will soon be more jobs than qualified workers to fill those jobs.

Plus, a great deal of the workforce in Troup County lives outside the county.

County leaders are doing their best to take that problem on before it becomes an actual reality.  Troup Works, a new partnership between the between the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce, and the Development Authority of LaGrange, West Point Development Authority, Troup County Development Authority and the Troup County Center for Strategic Planning, is bringing business and community leaders together to work on that issue.

Page Estes, LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce president, said there will be more than 6,000 jobs to fill over the next five years.

A study last year by Avalanche Consulting showed a 13 percent gap between estimated job growth and population growth. That study was likely an eye opening moment for city and county leaders and they seem to have used it as motivation. The jobs will be here. Now, the goal is to make sure people are ready for them.

Troup Works is the first part of an effort to ensure that Troup County has a strong workforce and strong industry for years to come, and we applaud everyone involved for their foresight.