Adult literacy or the low education level of the workforce is Tift County’s most pressing problem, according to a study group composed of local government officials and interested private parties.

For the past seven months, the group has been meeting to write a comprehensive plan for Tift County. The comprehensive plan describes the long-term issues that Tift County needs and wants to address over the next 20 years. The plan is due in the Department of Community Affairs office on June 30 and is nearing completion.

The 60 people, known as stakeholders, who have been involved with writing the comprehensive plan, will be meeting to finalize the plan every Tuesday from May 20 through June 24 at 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at the Welcome Station.

“Anyone interested may attend the meetings,” said Julia Shewchuk, with the Rural Development Center who is overseeing the plan.

One of the more recent activities of the stakeholders has been to prioritize the concerns in eight areas: Economic development, housing, natural resources, cultural resources, community facilities and services, land use and development, transportation and government coordination.

The top 10 issues, ranked by priority, to be addressed in the area of economic development are:

• No. 1: Low local workforce education level.

According to the stakeholders, Tift County lacks a qualified workforce with sufficient education. Those who do not have a high school diploma are not ready skill-wise to embrace opportunities at Moultrie Technical College, Abraham Baldwin College, etc.

The plan states that Tift County eliminated its support of Literacy Volunteers last year and that LVA has been a key player in the adult literacy arena. Because of the cut in funding, Literacy Volunteers had to cut the director’s position to half time. Moultrie Technical College’s adult literacy program is not able to expand its program in Tift County because of funding limitations. Next year it is anticipated that funding will be even tighter because of federal reductions in funding to adult programs.

Dondi Bargeron, director of LVA, told The Gazette on Monday that the former director, Doug Hall, left the position because when the county removed funding the director’s position was changed to a part-time position. She said the city of Tifton had continued some funding support. “I have not been contacted by the county,” she said.

• No. 2: Return on investment for agricultural businesses.

According to the stakeholders, agricultural businesses and operations need to receive a return on their investment in order to preserve viable agriculture in the area. In order to accomplish this, the county needs to expand agricultural activities and maintain a sufficient agricultural land base.

• No. 3: Lack of opportunities for young people.

According to the comprehensive plan, private/public partnerships need to be established to provide strong career based programs including, but not limited to, summer jobs and internships for middle and high school students, and to attract and retain young people and increase the workforce pool and expertise.

• No. 4: Lack of local area jobs.