About 30 state and University of Georgia officials visited the 12 for Life program Wednesday as they prepare to take the model and use it to pilot between three and five programs around the state.

They left impressed with what the education-business partnership sponsored by Southwire is accomplishing.

“We see such tremendous potential in the 12 for Life program,” said Mike Beatty, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.

He has been exploring the state and surrounding states for ideas on how to improve graduation rates. He plans to start programs focused at the middle school level through post-secondary education. He discussed his program, Great Promise Kids, with Daniel Jackson, CEO and president of Carroll County Chamber Commerce and Carroll Tomorrow, and Jackson asked him if he had heard of 12 for Life.

The discussion lead to his first visit to the facility in the fall, followed by detailed research and analysis. Wednesday was Beatty’s third visit to the program and he remains impressed.

“We’d like to take something like this to every county, every community,” he said. “I’ve not seen a program like 12 for Life anywhere else.”

Within a few years, Beatty said he expects to see businesses working with local school systems throughout the state.

Georgia Labor Commissioner and former Carroll County state representative Mark Butler said he has known about 12 for Life since its inception.

“This is a program that’s had great success,” he said. “I’ve been using it for years as an example of how to help lower the dropout rate.”

Duplications will likely not be exactly the same, depending on what companies get involved, but Butler is confident the idea will expand. He said he especially likes to see the businesses working with and investing in the schools.

“It’s a fabulous concept and a lot of the credit is on Southwire’s part,” Butler said.

Brooke Lucas, deputy commissioner of Economic Development, said she only recently learned about the program but she is impressed with what she has learned.

“We’re exploring new options for job growth in the state. ... I think it would be wonderful if other Georgia companies are willing to invest as much in local education,” she said.

Lucas said she can see the program working in other industrial settings, office work or call centers, allowing students to receive work experience and employers to train workers.

Mike Wiggins, executive vice president of Human Resources for Southwire, said 12 for Life has proven itself as a tool to improve the graduation rate.

Over the past several weeks, the Fanning Institute, a research organization working with UGA, has been interviewing organizers, school officials and the student employees to determine what aspects of the program would work well in other situations. Wiggins said the final results are not yet available, but he viewed Wednesday’s session with state officials as a final exam.

Wiggins said he did see a few flip charts, where students designed images using the best and worst things about the program. He hopes to be able to keep at least one of the charts.

“About 40 percent of the people here have never seen it. They’ve maybe read reports, but it’s different to come see it,” Wiggins said.

With two state commissioners, representatives from state Workforce Development and UGA, Wiggins said it was an impressive group of dignitaries.

Jackson said the best part of the program is it is beneficial for everyone, the students, the company and the school system.

“This is one more example of how our community comes together and works together,” he said. “It shows industry and education at the table together.”