Alabama’s approach is one that creates partnerships and connections to remove barriers for people who want to learn beyond high school.  In today’s economy, training and education beyond high school are critical to getting a high-wage, high-demand job.  Removing barriers so that ALL Alabamians have access to training is a top priority for Governor Kay Ivey, and will lead to better jobs, better lives, and a reduction in poverty in our state.

Governor Ivey’s Success Plus Plan has a goal of adding 500,000 credentialed workers to the workforce by 2025.  Alabama’s current post-secondary attainment rate is 45.1,%, an increase of 13.25 percentage points higher since 2009.  This study shows that removing barriers, collaborating with providers, and creating connections among public agencies is working and has Alabama on the path to meet the Success Plus goal.

For more information, access the original article by the Lumina Foundation, as well as the data from the 2021 Evaluation Report.

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Secretary Barbara Cooper of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education (ADECE) joined leaders from Troy University, Wallace Community College, and the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship to officially sign documents establishing Alabama’s first apprenticeship for Early Childhood Educators on Wednesday, October 27, 2021, at the Coleman Center for Early Learning on the Troy University Dothan Campus, 504 University Dr, Dothan, AL. Immediately after the documents were signed, two students signed their paperwork, making them the first two apprentices.

In full alignment with the goals of the Success Plus plan and Governor Kay Ivey’s Strong Start, Strong Finish initiative, this Early Childhood Educator Apprenticeship will increase the quality of care in the early childhood setting, create opportunities to upskill incumbent workers, and articulate coursework seamlessly between the community college and university. The ECE Apprenticeship provides an opportunity to increase the number of highly qualified early childhood educators in the workforce as apprentices engage in on-the-job learning (OJL) with a mentor and complete related technical instruction (RTI) from institutions of higher education. The apprenticeship allows apprentices to complete stackable credentials, a Child Development Associate certification, an associate’s degree, and a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, all while employed with a child care provider.

“This apprenticeship is a step in the right direction towards building the early education workforce pathway,” said Dr. Barbara Cooper, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education. “Research tells us 90% of a child’s brain development happens through the first five years. Our state’s youngest learners need well prepared educators in high quality early learning environments to maximize this precious time,” she said.

“The Coleman Center serves as a model center for preparing future teachers while researching and disseminating best practices in early childhood education. Of course, it does so in a caring and loving environment for the children enrolled,” said Troy University Chancellor Jack Hawkins, Jr. “We are pleased Troy University and our partners are forging the future of early childhood education in our state and nation.”

“Wallace Community College-Dothan is so pleased and excited to be a part of this Early Childhood Educator Apprenticeship—the very first in our state,” said Dr. Linda Young, President of Wallace Community College-Dothan. “Like our friends at Troy University, Wallace strives to be an innovator in education and training, and this is one such example of our commitment to trendsetting. We look forward to watching our students complete their apprenticeships, earn their degrees, and become part of the next generation of outstanding educators.”

“The launch of this program represents a major investment of time, effort, and energy from everyone involved because that is what it takes to do something out of the ordinary,” said Josh Laney, Director of the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship. “What we are launching here is the blueprint for a whole new path. We are extremely proud to register this program as a pilot and model that demonstrates feasibility, with the intention to pursue resources in the future,” he said.

This Fall, two apprentices at The Coleman Center for Early Learning will serve as a pilot group. Apprentices will receive direct support from mentors, B-5 coaches, and directors. They will also have guidance within the ECE Apprenticeship Toolkit which was developed by members from ADECE and AOA, the Director of the Coleman Center, and a CHD instructor from WCCD.

There is no cost for apprentices to participate, and they will earn progressive wages while they are learning. To offset the cost of the apprenticeship for the employer, all apprentices will apply for FAFSA, TEACH scholarships, Leadership in Childcare Scholarships, and C3 Scholarships. They will also work with the Business Service Representative at the Dothan Career Center to seek additional funding through WIOA and other grants. If there is any remaining cost due, this will be covered by ADECE and The Coleman Center.

The next steps include expanding the pilot to other Birth to 5 employers and including additional educational partners starting at the high school level.

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The AOA has greatly anticipated the launch of this site and is excited to share it with the public. “We are proud of the work that the University of Alabama Education Policy Center (EPC) has done to create an innovative tool that will help all Alabamians access apprenticeship opportunities,” said Josh Laney, Director of the AOA. “This one-of-a-kind dashboard is another example of how Alabama is striving to provide high-quality customer service to our employers in meeting their workforce needs, as well as expanding career pathways for our citizens.”

“It is a privilege for this Center and The University of Alabama to be of service to business and state leaders working to achieve Governor Kay Ivey’s important goal of 500,000 more Alabamians with recognized credentials and certificates by 2025,” said Dr. Steve Katsinas, EPC Director.  “Helping more Alabamians into better jobs is good for our state and nation, and that is exactly what the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship is doing.”

The tool was created to provide useful, up-to-date information for anyone interested in an apprenticeship, including students, parents, training providers, workforce agencies, and employers. For employers, this dashboard offers an ability to search for potential apprenticeship opportunities applicable to their company. On the other hand, high school students can use it to explore local apprenticeship opportunities for which they can apply.  Better still is that all of this information and more can be accessed interactively, through tools like a point-and-click map, or statically through downloadable tables and exported graphics. That way, users of the dashboard can view the information they want, however they want.

So far the AOA team has shared a beta version of the dashboard with workforce partners across Alabama who could benefit from its existence. Among the first to benefit were the Alabama Career Center staff who work with job seekers and employers. Recently, a focus group of apprenticeship employers has been included in the beta to review the dashboard’s effectiveness as a promotional tool for their programs at both the local and state level.

The dashboard can be found on the AOA’s website (www.alapprentice.org). To take full advantage of what the dashboard has to offer, it is recommended that new users check out the instructional videos and user documentation found on the website. If further assistance is needed, or if you are interested in learning more about an apprenticeship program in your area, please contact your local AOA project manager at alapprentice.org/contact/. If you have any feedback or additional questions, please contact the AOA at info@alapprentice.org.

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Background
The Governor’s Office of Education and Workforce Transformation and Alabama Workforce Council conducted the second Alabama Statewide Survey of Employer Talent Dynamics, which surveyed employers hiring practices (including interest in skills-based hiring), human capital development and training practices, and the nature of challenges related to hiring and employee retention. The survey was conducted by Cygnal between September 16 and September 26, 2021, with a survey sample size of 314 Alabama employers. The survey was a follow up from the first Alabama Statewide Survey of Employer Talent Dynamics, which was conducted between April 26 and May 2, 2021. Responses were collected through an online panel via a secure survey link distributed to employers by Alabama trade associations.

Progress Against the Skills Gap
About 75 percent of responding employers plan to add new jobs in the next six months (compared to 73 percent in May), and 86 percent of responding employers are having trouble finding skilled candidates (compared to 84 percent in May). The main reasons cited for not being able to find employees were a lack of applicants in general (September: 25 percent / May: 30 percent) and applicants who lack the skills the job requires (September: 35 percent / May: 32 percent). Some reasons to be optimistic include the fact that, in May, respondents who planned on adding jobs were split between ‘definitely yes” and “probably yes” (37 percent each) but now more are in the “definitely yes” and less are in the “probably yes” categories (48 percent “definitely yes,” 31 percent “probably yes”). Additionally, in May, more respondents were having a great deal of trouble finding good candidates (33 percent “great trouble” and 28 percent “some trouble”) but now a plurality are only having “some trouble” (30 percent “great trouble” and 36 percent “some trouble”).

The Increasing Popularity of Skills-Based Hiring
Like in May, 83 percent of companies review the skills, education, and qualifications of their incumbent workforce before developing job descriptions for open positions. For both the May and September surveys, 93 percent of organizations with 100-999 employees indicated that they use skills-based hiring practices. For the May survey, 56 percent of organizations did not require a degree for jobs in which 25 percent or more of the current workforce does not have a degree (39 percent did). Those numbers are nearly even now, with 45 percent requiring a degree and 50 percent not doing so. Like in May, only a quarter of companies with fewer than 20 employees require a degree for jobs in which 25 percent or more of the current workforce does not have a degree. This number increases precipitously for companies with 20 or more employees (44 percent – 69 percent).

The number of respondents who would prefer to hire a candidate with a great deal of relevant experience or skills but no college degree has also increased (September: 74 percent / May: 68 percent), as has its intensity. In September, 6 percent more respondents say they would hire the candidate with a great deal of relevant experience or skills but no college degree (September: 45 percent / May: 39 percent) over a candidate with a degree but little to no experience or skills.

While almost everyone is familiar with skills-based hiring (September 87 percent / May: 79 percent), only 29 percent of organizations always use it. Most respondents say they use it most of the time (52 percent). Like in May, large companies are more likely to use it than smaller ones. The percentage of organizations who always use competency statements in their job descriptions has increased from 26 percent to 32 percent. The percentage who use competency statements in their job descriptions most of the time has remained steady (September: 47 percent / May: 48 percent). Since these practices are linked, using competency statements in job descriptions and skills-based hiring are more common among large organizations. Both practices are very popular with senior management. The percentage of respondents who are not currently using skills- and competency-based job descriptions but would be interested in developing them if they could save their organization time and/or money has increased 12 percent since May (September: 74 percent / May: 62 percent).

Growing Interest in Ready to Work
More than half of respondents are “very familiar” (30 percent) or “somewhat familiar” (36 percent) familiar with the Ready to Work program (May 24 percent “very familiar”, 35 percent “somewhat familiar”). Respondents without a college degree, low-income earners, rural respondents, white respondents, and respondents from organizations with fewer than 100 employees are less familiar with the program than their counterparts. There is reason to be optimistic, since 91 percent of respondents believe the Ready to Work program adds, or could add, value to their workforce, including 80 percent of respondents who are not at all familiar with it and 90 percent of respondents who are not very familiar with it. The most interested respondent groups are people under age 50, college-educated respondents, high-income earners, suburbanites, minorities, senior management, HR managers, and respondents from organizations with 500 or more employees.

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Registered apprenticeships are nationally recognized and proven training models that allow participants to “earn while they learn.”  This program represents a concerted effort in building and developing viable talent pipelines and encouraging Alabama job seekers to enter these life-changing career pathways.

“The demand for commercial drivers will only continue to grow. Apprenticeships like this help provide a pathway for job seekers to stable, high-quality career opportunities,” stated Josh Laney, Director of the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship. “The creation of these meaningful training and employment opportunities, in partnership with champion employers like Billy Barnes Enterprises, is a benefit to the individual apprentices, the local economy, and Alabama as a whole.”

Governor Kay Ivey’s Success Plus goal calls for the addition of 500,000 highly skilled workers to the workforce by 2025 to meet the needs of industry and help Alabamians advance into high-demand, high-wage occupations.  This innovative program will meet the needs of employers and employees while growing Alabama’s robust transportation industry.

“The Alabama Trucking Association Foundation is proud of the partnership forged with our community colleges and high schools to bring this program to life,” stated Tim Frazier. “We have high hopes that this model apprenticeship program can be replicated throughout the state and will accelerate many new talented individuals to start a career in Alabama Trucking.”

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This program has a lot of “firsts”, but what’s really in it for the workforce?

What’s in it for students?  At the successful completion of the apprenticeship program, students will have credentials that demonstrate mastery in this field:  a TCM (Targeted Case Management) Certificate from the Alabama Department of Mental Health, Alabama State Board Licensure, a Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW on-the-job training that sets them up for success.  As an additional benefit, the cost of tuition and training during the program are covered. Combined with Alabama’s Last Dollar Scholarship policy the apprentice’s costs for books and tuition are covered by the employer.

What’s in it for employers?

Social workers are in demand, and this demand will only increase.  In a competitive job market providing this program establishes a pipeline of qualified social workers while assuring they have mastered the competencies behind the credentials.   It ultimately reduces recruitment and retention costs for the employer and provides them new employees with the skills and experience they need to be productive.

What’s in it for Alabama?

This program demonstrates the AOA and Alabama A&M’s dedication to providing exceptional educational opportunities and economic benefits to our state and underserved populations.  It helps to fill the demand for qualified social workers in our state and creates a long-lasting pipeline of qualified professionals in our state who will continue to meet the needs of our citizens.

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On September 21-22 thought leaders, educators, workforce developers, human resources professionals, chambers of commerce, non-profit agencies, and many others will navigate a virtual platform to hear keynote speakers, attend panel discussions and participate in breakout sessions covering current workforce policy initiatives, innovative solutions, and best practices.

Keynote speakers include Josh Davies, CEO of the Center for Work Ethic Development, and Dr. Richard Pimentel, disability advocate and one of the driving forces behind the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Governor Kay Ivey will close out the conference with an address on the current state of the workforce in Alabama and the presentation of the 2021 AlabamaWorks! Innovator Awards to innovative people and programs in the state.

As an added bonus, the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services is able to offer professional development credits for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® with the Society of Human Resource Management.

The event is free to attend.  A detailed agenda, additional information on professional development credits, and registration is available at www.alabamaworks.com/register.

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The recipient of the award can be an individual, group, organization, school system, teacher, business, consortium, or non-profit organization that is innovative in advancing workforce initiatives.  The awards will be presented by Governor Ivey at the final session of the conference (Wednesday, September 22, 2021, at 11:45 am).  All nomination forms must be submitted by August 1, 2021.  Each regional workforce council will make the final selection of the Innovator Award for their respective region.

Download Nomination Form Here

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