The Korean automaker, in its fifth consecutive year as a Super Bowl sponsor, has used the big stage to show off its Alabama employees and products in previous years. This year’s ad, one of a slate of five overall, is called “All for One.” It features the theme song of the movie “Rocky,” and the company used a vocal coach to train the Montgomery workers. …
http://blog.al.com/businessnews/2012/01/hyundais_alabama_plant_employe.html

“Jobs and the economy” was cited as the most important issue for legislators to deal with, garnering support from 32 percent of the 541 people polled statewide. But 22 percent offered no opinion, and only 7.5 percent cited budget shortfalls in the General Fund and Education Trust Fund.

The Republican majority has put together several proposals for creating jobs and improving the business climate in Alabama. The plans appear to have strong support. Asked if they approved of expanded job training in community colleges, tax breaks or incentives for businesses hiring veterans, offering small business loans, and expanded tax breaks or incentives for businesses moving to Alabama, respondents said “yes” by margins ranging from 68 percent to 91 percent.

But a majority of those polled — 59 percent — said state government can spend less money and still provide the same level of services. The question is, will they still think that way if the Legislature cuts a service they want or depend on? …
http://blog.al.com/press-register-commentary/2012/01/spend_less_but_create_more_job.html

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Alertus Technologies specializes in implementing facility alerting systems for campuses, military bases, government facilities, and other large facilities. Alertus was founded out of the University of Maryland after a tornado ripped through the campus in 2001 killing two students without warning. The Alertus system has been field-proven at numerous campuses for true emergencies ranging from threats of violence to hazardous materials incidents to threatening and dangerous weather conditions.

“I am proud of our Information Technology employees for their diligence in keeping our college community alerted to emerging threats. The purchase and immediate implementation of this software will enhance our capabilities to immediately notify our students, parents, and employees of incidents that may threaten their safety,” said Sam Munnerlyn, president of Trenholm State Technical College.
Source: Trenholm State 01/26/12 News Release

The students will have the opportunity to speak with representatives from dozens of different careers, including banking, automotive manufacturing, construction, radio, news reporting, nursing, electrical engineering, police work, and many more….
Source: Gadsden State Community College 1/26/12 News Release

Gary Dan Williams, director of the Center for Technology in Muscle Shoals, …outlined the needs for career technical education to survive and progress in Alabama. The plan calls for a one-time $30 million bond issue to bring equipment and facilities up to par; the restoration of $5 million in the state budget to cover summer programs and expenses and teacher contract extensions; and a yearly state allocation of $1,800 per program. The state has never funded career technical education; programs operate on federal funds to the tune of $300 per program….

Gary Warren, state Board of Education District 7 representative, called on the 20 or so career technical education students to stand up, saying there are 409,000 such students in Alabama, “just as sharp and deserving as these students right here.”

He shared other statistics, including the fact that the state has lost more than half its career technical centers in the past two decades, including 1,500 teachers. He said career technical education is what always gets pushed back in lieu of funding for other programs.

“We’ve got to get to Montgomery and push ahead with our issue or we’ll just continue to be pushed back again and again,” he said. “We just want what we’re supposed to have for career tech.”
http://www.timesdaily.com/stories/Lofty-plans-for-career-tech-future,186866

Despite more than a year of being unemployed after she was laid off from an airport security job she had for five years, the mother of seven is retraining in a 20-day certified nursing assistant program with hopes of employment as soon as she finishes. …

Pope said she received a scholarship to work through the $725 CNA program at Wallace Community College’s Center for Economic and Workforce Development. According to Wallace’s non-credit training coordinator, Vincent P. Vincent, the course is among several short-term certificate programs offered to get residents quickly into the workforce. Vincent said a free job skills’ Ready to Work program paid for by Gov. Robert Bentley’s office and implemented through Wallace is also gaining momentum.

“People of all working ages want to get in, learn something, and get out to work. We’re seeing students interested in our electrical and medical programs,” he said. …
http://www2.dothaneagle.com/news/2012/jan/28/job-availability-showing-signs-improvement-wiregra-ar-3131080/

Some community colleges are redesigning remedial classes, often adding math labs that let students work at their own pace with help from tutors. Others are rethinking the traditional math sequence, designed to take students from algebra to calculus. “Do students really need as much math as we think?” asks Shanna Jaggars, a researcher at the Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University. …
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2012/01/27/community-colleges-consider-mathoptions

Alabama’s jobless rate fell from 8.7 percent in November to 8.1 percent last month, a drop of 0.6 percentage points, the biggest decline among the states, according to a report Tuesday from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Alabama was followed by Michigan, whose unemployment rate dropped a half point to 9.3 percent in the month-to-month comparison. Four other states tied for third with a 0.4 percentage point drop: South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Ohio.

Since every state’s unemployment rate is estimated using a similar methodology, the pace of the decline is good news for Alabama’s economy, said Ahmad Ijaz, an economist at the University of Alabama. But there are caveats, he added. For one thing, the December figure is skewed by a big jump in seasonal or part-time hiring for the holidays. Plus, many people have halted job searches and are no longer counted. …
http://blog.al.com/businessnews/2012/01/alabamas_unemployment_rate_dec.html

The Boost Your Business seminars will be Jan. 31 (Tuesday) and Feb. 2 (Thursday) and conducted by representatives of AT&T Digital Express. Both will be 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Wynfrey Hotel, 1000 Riverchase Galleria, Hoover.

Chamber President Jennifer Whisenant said the programs will be valuable to all size business owners. “Attendees will learn new ways to promote their business, and will be in total control of the direct advertising they need and desire,” Whisenant said.

To register for one of the two free seminars call 663-4542 or go to www.shelbychamber.org.
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/01/greater_shelby_county_chamber_1.html