Alabama is one of 6 states recently selected to participate in the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) Policy Academy to Advance Youth Apprenticeship.

The Policy Academy offers participating states a yearlong opportunity designed to support them as they develop policy agendas that advance high-quality youth apprenticeship opportunities. Participating states will also receive a $50,000 grant award to execute their project activities.

Governor Kay Ivey posted on social media, “Good news for Alabama! And good news for the young men and women preparing for our workforce! Our workforce development efforts focus on connecting our students’ educational journeys with real-world jobs. That’s what it’s all about, y’all.”

“We are especially proud of our Alabama Office of Apprenticeship (AOA).  This multi-state opportunity is another example of the AOA’s superior work.  The work of the AOA, STEM development, and many other Commerce workforce initiatives demonstrate Secretary Greg Canfield’s commitment to developing the Alabama workforce.  These efforts move us closer to meeting Governor Ivey’s Success Plus goals in developing a strong workforce for the very successful economic sectors within the state.  I applaud the AOA Team and look forward to the outcomes,” said Ed Castile, Deputy Secretary of Commerce for Workforce Programs.

The Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA) – a collaborative initiative led by New America for which the NGA Center has served as national partner since its inception in 2018 – defines youth apprenticeship as a structured, work-based learning program designed to start when apprentices are in high school. PAYA’s definition of youth apprenticeship also includes the following four elements that support high-quality programs and outcomes for students and employers.

“We are always pleased to be a part of the broad workforce initiatives going on in Alabama and immensely appreciative of the support of Governor Ivey. Being chosen to participate in this NGA policy academy gives us a chance to share our successes and learn from our peers around the nation, bringing home and implementing the very best ideas,” said Josh Laney, Director of the AOA.

Tim McCartney, Alabama Workforce Council Chairman said, “The AWC is proud to support this innovative in-school youth apprenticeship policy academy.  This project will help us reach disconnected youth, which is a target population for reaching the Success Plus goals.”

Read the National Governors Association full press release:
https://www.nga.org/news/press-releases/6-states-selected-to-participate-in-nga-youth-apprenticeship-policy-academy/

 

The Alabama Workforce Council conducted the Statewide Survey of Alabama Hourly Employees to identify barriers preventing workers, especially those from Alabama’s 16 special populations, from accessing education, training, or going to work. 

The survey was conducted by Cygnal between May 9th and 18th, 2023, and 408 hourly workers responded to the survey. 39% were male and 61% were female. The results of the survey identified an array of barriers for these workers. 

The majority of those surveyed identified childcare as a very important factor in their ability to attend work regularly. 52% of parents have missed work because they don’t have childcare. In addition, 38% of working parents drive their kids to school.  

Transportation also remains a barrier for hourly workers.  Half of workers drive over 30 minutes in their commute, and a third of workers have lost or quit their job due to transportation issues. Nearly 60% of workers have missed work due to their car breaking down, a majority of workers do not have access to public transportation, and 13% of those surveyed reported that they have no other reliable transportation to work.   

More than a third of those surveyed reported delaying a new job, taking a new position with the same employer, or entering school or training for fear of losing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. 52% reported a similar course of action for fear of losing Medicaid.   

Click on a button below to view the full reports: