Microsoft and Georgia are teaming up to provide free online training to workers who want to improve their technology skills. The program, called Elevate America, provides free technical training to help people find better jobs.

30,000 training vouchers will be issued to individuals interested in learning how to use Microsoft Windows or Microsoft Office programs. There are also advanced training vouchers for those interested in learning more about web development or database management.

The vouchers are good for certification exams that will help validate an individual’s skills to prospective employers.

More information can be found at Georgia Work Ready.

Georgia Work Ready was launched in 2006 to improve the job training and marketability of Georgia’s workforce and drive future economic growth for the state.

Central Connecticut State University has released the results of its 2009 Most Literate Cities study. Atlanta now ranks fifth among cities whose population is 250,000 or more, up from sixth position in 2008 and eighth position in 2007.

The study is based on key metrics of literacy including newspaper circulation, number of bookstores, library resources, periodical publishing resources, educational attainment, and Internet resources.

Complete results can be found on the Central Connecticut State University web site.

The National Association of Realtors reports that the median price for existing homes sold in November 2009 rose 2.4% compared to November 2008, and the area experienced a 33% sales increase over the same period as well.

The price increase is the first since 2008 and could signal a strengthening real estate market.

Kaiser Permanente is embarking on a five-year expansion plan to add 20 medical center facilities to the company’s existing 17 in the Atlanta area. The expansion will cost Kaiser about $400 million.

Kaiser anticipates the expansion will add 500 jobs and put most of the company’s quarter million insured within 15 minutes of a Kaiser facility.

The new centers are anticipated to be 5,000-square-feet facilities housing doctors, specialists, lab facilities, radiology, and a pharmacy.

Vice President Joe Biden will announce today funding for a 260 mile fiber optic network that will link Atlanta to North Carolina, creating hundreds of jobs during construction. The fiber optic network project is the result of a $33 million federal stimulus award and is designed to help spread broadband technology into rural areas.

The network project has been under development for three years and is expected to be a big economic boost for local communities by providing high speed internet access to 42,000 households and over 9,000 businesses, schools, and government facilities.