COLUMN: Walker: Breaking Barriers, Building Careers: Reform That Keeps Georgia Working

By: Sen. Larry Walker, III (R-Perry)

As 2025 draws to a close, Georgia's economy continues to expand. Still, I keep hearing a familiar concern echoed throughout our state. A lack of work isn't holding Georgia back; it's the barriers that prevent willing workers from accessing it.

Across our state, we've got men and women who know their trades inside and out. They've studied, trained and earned their stripes. However, the process of becoming "official" in the eyes of the state often slows them down. Whether it's an HVAC technician waiting on a license renewal or a small business that can't fill a vacancy, the result is the same… good work delayed by red tape.

If someone has the training, experience and work ethic to do a job, the government shouldn't stand in their way. According to the Georgia Department of Labor's Workforce Trends to 2028, our state is on track to add more than 550,000 new jobs by the end of the decade, an increase of nearly 12 percent statewide. Health care and social assistance will lead the charge, adding over 122,000 positions. Professional and business services will follow closely with almost 96,000 new opportunities. Our construction industry, which propels much of our rural economic growth, is projected to grow by more than seven percent as new roads, bridges and facilities rise across the state.

Those numbers don't tell the whole story. Every new project depends on people who are licensed and ready to work. That's where reform matters most.

This year, I sponsored Senate Bill 125, which helps engineering graduates gain a competitive edge in their careers. Before this law, graduates were required to complete four years of work experience before they could take the Professional Engineering exam. SB 125 decouples the exam from that requirement, allowing graduates to test while the material is still fresh in their minds. They'll still need real-world experience to become fully licensed, but they won't lose four productive years waiting for the state's permission to prove what they already know.

We also passed House Bill 579, which I was proud to carry through the Senate. This new law streamlines the licensing process for skilled trades and high-demand professions by giving the Professional Licensing Boards Division more flexibility to issue temporary or provisional licenses. That means a qualified plumbing apprentice or HVAC technician can begin working under supervision while completing an exam, rather than sitting on the sidelines. In places like Houston County or Laurens County, that difference can determine whether a business grows or has to turn down work.

Together, these reforms move Georgia closer to being a state that rewards hard work and eliminates unnecessary red tape, and they come at the right time. The Department of Labor projects that more than 48,000 new transportation and material-moving jobs and 14,000 new construction-related positions will be available by 2028. Add to that nearly 95,000 new jobs in science, technology, engineering and math fields, and you can see the opportunity that lies ahead.

Rural communities, especially, can't afford to lose momentum. When a single HVAC technician or lineman retires, it doesn't just impact a business. It affects every family, church and school that relies on their skills. Georgians aren't asking for shortcuts. They deserve a system that respects their training, values their time and recognizes that honest work shouldn't be tangled up in paperwork.

SB 125 and HB 579 are all about clearing the road for our people to continue to build, heal and lead in every corner of the state. As we lay a foundation for the 2026 Legislative Session, I'm committed to being a champion for every Georgian who works hard to provide for their family. When our workforce succeeds, Georgia does too.

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Sen. Larry Walker serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Insurance and Labor. He represents the 20^th Senate District, which includes Bleckley, Dodge, Dooly, Laurens, Treutlen, Pulaski and Wilcox counties, as well as portions of Houston County. He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-0095 or by email at [email protected].

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