Workforce Development
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Workforce Development

 

The skill level of our working population is critical for economic growth and business recruitment.

The development of work-related skills has been recognized as a major driver of economic development and the two initiatives, workforce development and economic development, are interdependent and overlapping.

In recognition of this strong connection, the state legislature placed all workforce development activities and state-level economic development activities under the Alabama Department of Commerce. The responsibilities of the Business Development Division and the Workforce Development Division of the Department of Commerce are codified in Code of Alabama § 41-29-5.

Federal funding for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is handled through the state and local workforce boards, which are supported administratively by the Department of Commerce. WIOA funds provide support of youth, adult and dislocated worker programs administered by authorized service providers via a competitive grant process. For more information on WIOA, visit https://wioa-alabama.org/.

State funded workforce initiatives are primarily the purview of Alabama Industrial Development Training the Alabama Community College System, and the One Stop Career Centers.

Alabama Industrial Development Training:
AIDT is an independent agency under the supervision and oversight of the Secretary of Commerce and encourages economic development through job-specific training. Training services are offered in many areas, at no cost, to new and expanding businesses throughout the State (www.aidt.edu).

AIDT was established to build a healthy state economy by recruiting and training a skilled workforce to attract new industries to the state and to expand existing industries. Job-specific pre-employment and on-the-job training programs are provided.The program provides a full range of customized technical training programs that are offered at no cost to employers and to the trainees. Leadership training programs are also available.  

In addition to training, AIDT offers services including trainee recruitment and screening, safety assistance, industrial maintenance assessments and continuous improvement/process improvement assessments.Training is conducted by AIDT staff or contracted instructors and delivered through classrooms or 38 Mobile Training Units customized to meet specific company needs. MTUs go directly to the employer site to provide classroom and hands-on training.

Companies in the Dothan Metropolitan Statistical Area have used AIDT extensively to recruit and train new employees as when the status of the existing labor pool requires it.

Alabama Community Colleges:
The community colleges strive to match educational and training programs to the needs of the regional community. In addition to academic and career-technical programs, they provide an entry level “Ready to Work” program to prepare new workers, and those that have a break in their work history, to enter the workforce.
 

  • Wallace Community College - Our largest industry, by employment, is the health care industry. In 2019, Wallace Community College graduated 350 nursing and allied health students, and the college currently trains 85 percent of the health care workers in the region. Their career/technical programs are listed at www.wallace.edu. The college is open to develop other training programs if there is an identified and quantifiable need within the community, and has done so on several occasions.  
     
  • Alabama Aviation Center - The Alabama Aviation Center is a FAA Part 147, state supported college that teaches an Airframe, Powerplant and Avionics Curriculum. The college also offers specialty courses to aviation industries throughout Alabama.
     
  • One-Stop Career Center - The Career Center is an integral part of the workforce system and counsels individuals on developing their employment plan. They administer individual training accounts for youth, adults and dislocated workers, and operate the Job Training and Incumbent Worker programs.  
     

OJT Brochure - www.madeinalabama.com/assets/2015/09/OJT-brochure.pdf

Incumbent Worker Brochure- www.madeinalabama.com/assets/2015/09/IWTP-Brochure.pdf

Alabama and Regional Workforce Councils:

  • State Workforce Council - In 2015, the Governor created the Alabama Workforce Council by appointing a state-wide business and industry leaders to serve. The AWC serves as an advisory role to the governor and the Alabama Legislature on workforce issues concerning the state. The AWC consists of business executives from some of Alabama’s most important industries and organizations. The council seeks to facilitate collaboration between government and industry which will further develop a sustainable, top-notch workforce that is competitive on a global scale in Alabama. Since its formation, the council has been committed to examining important issues related to workforce development and making sound recommendations that will help to create an increase in better opportunities for all Alabamians (Alabama Code § 41-29-290).
     
  • Regional Workforce Councils – Prior to 2015, there were 10 Regional Workforce Development Councils. On Oct. 1, 2015, the structure changed to seven local RWC’s which allowed all workforce/education resources to align and deliver the required programs that meet the needs identified by local business and industry and the skills that are lacking in the workforce (Act 2015-450).  This realignment transferred the RWC’s to the Alabama Department of Commerce, as a key part of a comprehensive Workforce Development plan. Through restructuring, the councils can now focus on the issues faced by the organizations within their own regions. On Oct. 1, 2016, the RWCs were funded through a line item in the Education Trust Fund which allowed all seven regions to hire a full-time director and staff. One other monumental change occurred on July 1, 2017, which realigned the Federal WIOA Workforce Boards to match the seven geographic areas of the new RWC’s. This allows more local input in how funds are utilized for training through the local Career Centers within each RWC. Other functions of the RWC’s include:
     
    • Be business-driven and business-led;
    • Maintain a strategic plan to support the governor’s Success Plus initiative and Accelerate Alabama economic development plan;
    • Establish a feedback loop for critical WFD information to the Alabama Workforce Council; and
    • Monitor business and industry satisfaction with federal- and state-funded projects, and are the change agent if not satisfied.

 

  • Region 6 Workforce Council – Prior to the realignment of the RWCs, the southeast region was considered Region 10 and served only eight counties. In 2015, Region 6 was created to serve the 10 counties of southeast Alabama: Barbour, Butler, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston and Pike counties. The region’s first director was hired January 2017 (Southeast AlabamaWorks). The regional council meets quarterly. Other meetings held include Industry Clusters, Career Center Partner Meetings and Community College Partner Meetings. The council also reviews grant proposals from the regional community colleges – Alabama Aviation College, Enterprise State Community College, George C. Wallace Community College and Lurleen B. Wallace Community College. Grant requests are to initiate or sustain workforce training that supports the industries and occupations identified in the strategic plan, which has a nexus with the regional economic development plan. The goals of the Region 6 Workforce Council are to:
     
    • Create a collaborative atmosphere of workforce partners for business and industry, ACCS, K-12, DOL, career centers, economic cevelopers and local municipal governments;
    • Provide rapid response to short-term training and job placement needs of business and industry;
    • Provide long-term solutions for closing skills gaps by listening to local business and industry leaders and delivering solutions;
    • Ensure high-quality training services are provided in the region; and
    • Ensure federal and state fiscal resources are wisely allocated for WFD activities.

 

Other Workforce Development Resources:
Several nonprofit entities provide entry-level worker training that includes soft skills, these include: Camp H.I.R.E by the Alfred Saliba Center for Families and the “Job Skills” program by the Department of Human Resources.