Shaping a new future: Alabama’s workforce development system

(23rd March, 2010)

Shaping a new future: Alabama’s workforce development system  | read this item

It’s hard to recall that only three years ago Alabama’s unemployment rate was 3.3 percent and there was genuine concern about the state’s ability to meet the growing demand for skilled workers in its diverse industries, especially the automotive, maritime, and aerospace sectors.
Now, with an unemployment rate of 11.1 percent, it’s easy to be pessimistic about Alabama’s future. But I am an optimist, and I see this as not only a challenge, but also an opportunity to reshape our workforce, because the reality is that the majority of jobs that have left are not coming back – at least not as we know them.
The jobs of the future will require – no, demand – highly sophisticated technical skills. Industries will be greener and businesses leaner. Factor in efficient utilization of resources and protecting the environment and it’s easy to see that a new way of doing business is emerging.
During this slowdown, our education and workforce development systems are taking the opportunity to develop programs to accommodate future training needs. Because of the foresight of Gov. Bob Riley, who created the Office of Workforce Development (OWD), Alabama has the mechanism in place to do so.
The director of OWD also serves as director of workforce development for the Alabama Community College System (ACCS). Blending these two roles allows the state to marshal all its resources into an efficient, effective and responsive state workforce development system.
Steering the process of creating a streamlined workforce development system is a State Workforce Planning Council that brings together industry representatives and the leaders of eight state agencies having workforce development functions. The Council is chaired by the ACCS chancellor and charged with coordinating planning, budgeting, and resource allocations to meet priority needs.
Precious tax dollars have been saved by merging our workforce development efforts into a system that is more accessible, understandable, and responsive to citizens seeking employment and businesses seeking workers. The State Workforce Planning Council and the OWD ensure that employers and job seekers receive the help they need when they need it by coordinating efforts and holding service providers accountable for results.
As the economic engine for state workforce development activities, the two‐year college system provides a wide range of career‐technical courses and short‐term training for job‐specific certifications.Adult education services are available for those individuals who do not have a high school diploma. In addition to community and technical colleges, the Department of Postsecondary Education also oversees workforce development agencies that focus on the needs of existing businesses and industries, as well as new and expanding ones.
Alabama’s economic survival depends on the ability to respond quickly to the training needs of employers and employees. To be truly responsive, it is imperative to know the specifics from the grassroots perspective. Providing this perspective are 10 regional workforce development councils comprising employers, economic developers and elected officials from member counties. The councils ensure that decisions are market‐driven and address local priority needs. In fact, regional council approval is required before a proposal can even be submitted to the OWD for funding.
Strategic planning currently is under way by the regional councils. The initiatives in these plans, coupled with projected growth and industry trends from both the state and national level, provide our workforce system with a foundation for developing skills training programs for the jobs of the future.
Workforce development and economic development depend on one another. Thanks to an aggressive recruitment strategy, Alabama has a diversified industrial base that brings with it quality jobs. Although many Alabama industries have scaled back production until the economy rebounds, others still are in
dire need of skilled workers.
Alabama’s maritime industry on the Gulf Coast, for instance, needs skilled welders for its shipbuilding enterprise. ThyssenKrupp Steel in Mobile County is on target to begin production later this year. Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) has resulted in new opportunities in the Huntsville area as well as in east Alabama near Phenix City. The automotive sector continues to be a growth industry in the state
and its tier suppliers are well positioned to benefit as Kia and Volkswagen set up production plants in neighboring states.
Alabama’s workforce development efforts must continue to not only parallel the state’s ongoing industry recruitment initiatives, but also to keep pace as existing industries expand markets and product lines. The demand for training and education programs that are skill‐specific has increased as has an emphasis on green jobs, alternative fuels, hybrid technology, and renewable energy sources.
The state’s workforce development system has taken this economic downturn as an opportunity to inventory its resources and retool where necessary so that training is aligned with industry needs. We encourage our citizens – especially those who are unemployed – to also use this time and the community college system to retrain and retool for reemployment in Alabama’s emerging new economy.

Readers Comments