The Alabama Office Apprenticeship (AOA) is continuing to meet the needs of job seekers and employers in Alabama through innovative apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. Together with Wallace Community College Dothan, the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship will begin enrolling students in the state’s first Certified Pre-Apprenticeship Program – Basic Maintenance Technician – on April 4th, with classes starting in June.

“I am delighted that the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship (AOA) has approved the Wallace Community College (WCC) Basic Maintenance Technician (BMT) program as a certified pre-apprenticeship program”, said Joe Johnson, Director of Workforce Development at Wallace Community College Dothan. “This designation speaks to the quality of the BMT program and validates that the training will meet business and industries workforce expectations, while ensuring successful participants have an opportunity to be given credit for their prior learning experience. This process streamlines a participant’s ability to transition into the WCC Applied Engineering Technology, Industrial Maintenance Mechanic apprenticeship or into the workforce to begin their career. This is a win/win for the program participants and our area business and industry partners.”

Pre-apprenticeships are designed to prepare individuals to enter and succeed in a Registered Apprenticeship and ultimately a career. They offer structured training opportunities and a set of services that participants need to progress into an apprenticeship, such as work-readiness skills and wraparound supports for transportation and childcare.

Alabama has a high demand for skilled individuals in the manufacturing industry. Maintenance technicians install, repair, and ensure all machines function properly through troubleshooting and preventative maintenance service. The Basic Maintenance Technician pre-apprenticeship program is a starting point that allows an individual to gain access to specific, manufacturing skills while opening doors to additional training, paid apprenticeships, and job opportunities in the industry.

To register or receive additional info on the program, contact Amber Dunlap at adunlap@wallaced.edu or (334) 556-2208.

Using a combination of classroom instruction, on-the-job learning, and simulated work, individuals gain exposure to industry, equipment and workplace safety practices. Successful graduates can also earn multiple industry credentials, including: OSHA 10 General Industry certification, NC3 Snap-On multimeter certification, NC3 Snap-On micrometer certification, NC3 Snap-On slide caliper.

In March 2020, the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship (AOA) became the first state agency in over 20 years to be recognized as a State Apprenticeship Agency by the U.S. Department of Labor. This designation allows the AOA to streamline the process of registering apprenticeships within the state and enhanced flexibility to serve the needs of employers and workers.

MONTGOMERY, Ala – Gov. Kay Ivey has appointed eight new members to serve on the Alabama Workforce Development Board which oversees the state’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) initiatives.

“It is my pleasure to announce the appointment of this slate of leaders from a cross-section of Alabama’s business, industry, and non-profit sectors to our state’s workforce investment board”, said George Clark, Chairman of Alabama’s Workforce Development Board. “Each individual brings great talent and knowledge to the table, and I look forward to working closely with each of them.”

WIOA, a federal law passed in 2014, provides funding to help adults, youth and dislocated workers access assistance through Alabama Career Centers, Adult Education programs and the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services to obtain full-time employment on a career pathway.

Board members represent a cross-section of industry and business leaders, labor officials, education leaders, economic development specialists, community-based organizations and local officials. The diversity of its members provides the knowledge and expertise needed to offer a comprehensive 21st Century perspective for innovative and creative solutions to Alabama’s current and future workforce needs.

New members of the WIOA Workforce Board are:

• Myriam Aerts – Chief People Officer at AM/NS in Calvert
• Dr. Phillip Cleveland – Owner of Cleveland Senior Living in Altoona
• Laura Kappler-Roberts – President of Kappler Manufacturing in Guntersville
• Chrystal Morgan –Director of State and Local Government Relations at the United Launch Alliance in Decatur
• Julie Kornegay – Senior Outreach Advisor for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta – Birmingham Branch
• Margaret Morton – Executive Director of the Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement, Inc.
• Mike Petrus –Vice President of Manufacturing at American Cast Iron Pipe Company located in Birmingham
• Peggy Sease-Fain – Vice President Human Resources at DCH Healthcare System in Tuscaloosa.

The State Workforce Development Board is a unique public/private partnership representing the State of Alabama on all statewide workforce development issues and solutions. The Board exists with a purpose to assist the Governor in the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the WIOA, and related programs, in order to ensure alignment with the Alabama workforce development system as well as a properly prepared workforce.

For more information on the WIOA Workforce Board and its activities, visit the link below.

MONTGOMERY, Ala – Under the leadership of Governor Kay Ivey, Alabama set the ambitious attainment goal of adding 500,000 credentialed Alabamians to the labor force, surpassing the national labor force participation rate and returning to pre-pandemic employment levels. Reaching these goals requires understanding the differences across Alabama’s seven workforce regions and expanding place-based strategies that serve the education and workforce needs of our communities.

Creating opportunities and empowering students for success begins with a thorough knowledge of the current workforce landscape as well as factors that impact access to education and employment.  Through an Equity Leadership Acceleration Grant from the Lumina Foundation, the Alabama Commission on Higher Education and Equivolve Consulting, in partnership with the Alabama Workforce Council and the Governor’s Office of Education and Workforce Transformation, collaborated to produce a tool with key data points for each region, which will provide a foundation for collaboration, shared resources and enhanced communication among stakeholders in order to achieve the state’s attainment goal.

“Growing Alabama’s workforce is essential for our state’s prosperity, and it is why I set the goal of adding 500,000 more skilled Alabamians to the labor force”, said Governor Kay Ivey.  “I am proud of the great work going on throughout the state, and these Regional Workforce Profiles will help broaden our efforts. I offer my sincerest thanks to the Lumina Foundation for selecting Alabama for this opportunity.”

“Postsecondary learning has never mattered more than it does right now to our state,” said Jim Purcell, executive director, Alabama Commission on Higher Education.   “The workforce profiles will serve as valuable guides for developing new certificates and degrees to meet the needs of employers and provide pathways for Alabamians into those middle- and high-skill jobs that employers are looking to fill.”

“As we continue building out our skills-based hiring programs and initiatives, these regional profiles will enable us to further understand the complexities of each region and more effectively reach our target audience,” said Alabama Workforce Council Chairman Tim McCartney. “This important data will help business and industry, together with the state, break down barriers and promote the credential and competency-based career pathways model.”

“The workforce profiles allow us finally, to gain a more in-depth understanding of what makes up a particular region’s workforce, it’s strengths and weaknesses and gives us an amount of insight that we’ve not had before,” said Ed Castile, Deputy Secretary of Commerce.  “The information is invaluable in helping us plan the next steps to achieving Governor Ivey’s attainment goal.”

“Developing these profiles is a critical step toward adding 500,000 credentialed Alabamians to the labor force”, said Glenn Love, CEO of Equivolve. “Not only do the profiles offer a window into the state’s workforce, they provide the Ivey administration with an opportunity to develop strategies that are data-driven, responsive, and equitable.”

“This is going to provide the regional workforce councils a framework to connect the dots and help all partners understand overall goals are and how to get there, said Donny Jones, Executive Director of the Region 3 Workforce Development Council/West AlabamaWorks.  “The K-12 education, community college and 4-year university systems are the bedrock of our workforce efforts, but these profiles will also help connect the non-profit and religious organizations as the wrap around services they provide are key to moving the needle and helping people obtain their career goals.  It will take all of us working together to achieve this.”

Each regional profile contains background information, an education snapshot, a workforce snapshot, employment access and regional key findings.  They can be viewed and downloaded below.

In general, a company is “veteran friendly” if it takes deliberate action to recruit, hire, train and retain military personnel or veterans.  The military is an incubator for some of the most important characteristics in business, many that take nonveterans years to cultivate.   Employers who promote themselves as veteran friendly attract some of the best and brightest talent in a very competitive workforce.  But those who take veteran friendly a step further, and become “veteran friendlier” are bound to attract the best talent while ensuring that our veterans receive all of the benefits they deserve.

Gary Davenport, of U.S. Army TMDE Activity (Test, Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment) at Redstone Arsenal knows the value veterans bring to the workforce but also recognizes they are in high demand.  To recruit the best talent to meet his workforce needs Davenport began working the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship (AOA) to create a registered apprenticeship for veterans that not only provides specialized on-the-job training with competitive wages but a monthly housing allowance at no cost to the employer.

Registered apprenticeships are truly a win-win scenario in the workplace.  In this instance the veteran apprentice learns a highly specialized skill, while getting paid, receives a sizeable veterans’ monthly housing allowance while in the program and has a guaranteed job with advancement opportunities.  The employer on the other hand uses this advanced recruiting strategy to hire an employee with proven dedication and experience, and in turn develops a pipeline of skilled employees.  With the veteran apprenticeship program, U.S. Army TMDE Activity will also have access to VA Funds while maximizing benefits to those who have served this country.

“The AOA is very happy to be able to ensure our veterans get every possible benefit from registered apprenticeship programs. The program we were able to build with U.S. Army TMDE Activity at Redstone is a great example of the kind of incentives and supports available to get the expertise and dedication of veterans into the civilian workforce,” said Josh Laney, Director of the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship.

The Alabama Office of Apprenticeship worked collaboratively with Mr. James Thompson at the VA State Approving Agency as well as Mr. Gary Davenport with U.S. Army TMDE Activity to make this first-of-a-kind registered veteran apprenticeship program a reality in our state.  “By working with the AOA, training providers and employers who build registered apprenticeship programs become automatically eligible for approval by the State Approving Agency for veteran’s programs. This connects apprentices to a wide range of supports and brings the maximum value to employers. We look forward to many more successful connections in the years to come,” remarked Josh Laney.

Registered Apprenticeship is flexible training strategy and innovative workforce solution for employers to recruit, train, and retain highly skilled workers. Apprentices benefit with increased skills, progressive wages, and a pathway towards a high-demand career. If you are interested in learning how your company can become “veteran friendlier” or if you are interested in other apprenticeship programs please visit www.alapprentice.org for more information.

MONTGOMERY, Ala – COVID-19 altered many plans in 2020, one of those being the state’s premier workforce event – the AlabamaWorks Conference! Recognizing that challenges facing the state’s workforce still need to be addressed and innovative ideas still need to be shared, AlabamaWorks pivoted to develop a completely virtual workforce conference.

On September 17, 2020 from 8 am to 4:30 pm attendees 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.

Best-selling author and motivational speaker Dr. Kevin Elko will present a keynote address at the virtual event and Governor Kay Ivey will also present the first ever AlabamaWorks Innovator
Awards!

There is no cost to attend the event and registration is now open at alwksvirtualconf.com. Register early and receive an AlabamaWorks Swag Box! For additional details and to view the entire conference agenda, visit www.alwksvirtualconf.com today!