Atlanta welcomes FTAA

Latin Trade, July, 2003

9. ATLANTA HAS A SKILLED WORKFORCE AND RENOWNED ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS

A skilled workforce is one of Atlanta's most valuable assets. The U.S. Census Bureau ranks Atlanta second in the nation in the percentage of its population with a college degree. In fact, Atlanta leads the United States in attracting college graduates, ahead of Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco and Dallas.

Georgia ranks in the top 10 states in terms of technology employment, and Atlanta is second among 30 U.S. cities in software job growth.

Georgia's nationally acclaimed workforce training program, Quick Start, has partnered with more than 3,400 companies since 1967. Quick Start has created customized training for nearly 250,000 Georgia workers at little or no cost to the companies involved.

Georgia is home to world-class universities, including Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), The University of Georgia and Georgia State University.

The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, part of the Georgia Institute of Technology, the Goizueta Business School at Emory, the Dean Rusk Center at The University of Georgia, and the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University offer extensive degree programs in business and international studies.

The Atlanta International School offers a program of academic excellence to American and international students, with more than 60 countries represented in the school community. Mercer University and the Georgia Institute of Technology offer intensive English programs designed to serve the needs of international students who want to enroll at a U.S. university.

10. ATLANTA OFFERS AN EXCEPTIONAL LIFESTYLE

Rolling hills, golf courses, peaceful lakes and quiet neighborhoods--that's one side of life in Atlanta. For those who enjoy a cosmopolitan lifestyle, Atlanta is filled with art galleries, cultural events, sophisticated shopping and gourmet restaurants. Atlanta has more than 4,000 arts and cultural entertainment venues, including popular Mexican, Brazilian and Argentine restaurants.

For veteran shoppers, Atlanta's famed Mall of Georgia includes hundreds of stores, five themed courtyards and an outdoor concert venue. Other choices include the famed Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza (Atlanta's premier upscale shopping malls), and shopping outlets in towns such as Darien, Commerce and Dawsonville. A short drive from Atlanta are wooded mountains, sandy beaches, Civil War battlefields, family amusement parks and all the attractions of Georgia's gentle, four-season climate.

In addition to their high quality of life, Atlanta residents appreciate their relatively low cost of living. "This is a beautiful city," says Pascual, "and a very affordable place to live."

Combining these lifestyle choices with a strong state economy, it's not surprising that Georgia has become the fourth fastest-growing state in the United States, with 380,000 new residents expected by 2005.

CONCLUSION; A RIGHT CHOICE

As the commercial center of the southeastern United States, Atlanta has the strong business, transportation, and hospitality infrastructure that will be needed to support the FTAA Secretariat.