Barbara Prosser, chief executive officer of the Effingham College and Career Academy, spoke at the Feb. 5 meeting of the Exchange Club of Effingham County.

The Exchange Club members learned that the ECCA, working with the Effingham County School System, the Industrial Development Authority, Effingham Chamber of Commerce and Georgia-Pacific, completed a five-year master plan as part of the Ford Next Generation Learning program. The program brings together educators and business and community leaders to transform high school education.

The Effingham County School System was the first in Georgia to complete this five-year master plan.

Prosser also spoke about training programs in which the local school system works in partnership with manufacturers such as Gulfstream Aerospace. Students receive hands-on training during school days while earning credit for those programs, which helps them save money on training and earn well-paying jobs after they graduate from high school.

The Effingham Exchange Club meets on the first and third Wednesdays of each month for lunch, fellowship and interesting guest speakers. To learn more about the Effingham Exchange Club, call Jimmy Rutland at 655-2952 or Yvette Carr at 657-5423, email effinghamexchange@live.com or visit “Exchange Club of Effingham County, GA” on Facebook.