Major Job Training Program Headed to Westside

ATLANTA, GA — A $7 million job training program was announced Wednesday for Atlanta's westside neighborhood.

In a joint press conference, the Chick-fil-A Foundation, the Coca-Cola Foundation and the city said the City of Refuge, an Atlanta nonprofit, will use the funds to build a jobs hub that will teach skills in auto tech and retail, the culinary arts, landscaping, security services and HVAC.

A computer-coding academy will be created for young adults along with a small business incubator and accelerator for entrepreneurs.

The city's westside has recently became the focus of development programs that have gained momentum partly because of construction of the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

"Our city’s leading companies and philanthropic groups are stepping up to support meaningful and lasting change on the Westside," said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. "Through this pledge, the city will continue to advance economic success for hard-working families and their children through workforce development and support.”

The City of Refuge’s capital campaign, “Shining the Light,” has a goal to raise $25 million by 2018.

“Today marks a significant milestone for Atlanta’s Westside. The tangible commitment from our city’s public and private sector will translate into real jobs that will give way to real optimism,” said Chick-fil-A chairman and CEO Dan Cathy.

City of Refuge is designed to help women and children facing homelessness with an emergency shelter and transitional housing, which features three meals a day, on-site health care, youth activities, and vocational training and staffing services.

“There is no better time than now for progressive initiatives like this, which will help us strengthen our communities," said Muhtar Kent, chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola.

City of Refuge looks to expand beyond training people for work to providing them with the comprehensive services necessary to reach middle class by middle age and attain self-sufficiency.

The planning phase for the job hub is underway. Construction, renovation and programming of the more than 20,000-square-foot training center and culinary academy will begin in the coming months and continue through September 2019.

(Image L-R: Bruce Deel, founder and CEO of City of Refuge; Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed: Muhtar Kent, chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Co; Dan Cathy, CEO of Chick-fil-A. Courtesy City of Refuge)