Honda powers Alabama’s workforce with Barber racetrack event
Alabama students got a hands-on look at the high-tech operations of the state’s manufacturers over the weekend, while Indy racecars sped by in the background. Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, along with many of its suppliers, area staffing firms, colleges and universities came together to put on Honda’s “Gear Up Your Career” event, held during the…
Commerce launches Workforce Development Division to streamline services
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Beginning today, many of Alabama’s key workforce development programs are being consolidated in a new division within the Alabama Department of Commerce that aims to improve workforce readiness and spur business expansion across the state. The formation of Commerce’s new Workforce Development Division creates a better aligned option for businesses needing job-training…
Commerce creating new Workforce Development Division to boost recruitment
Alabama’s key workforce development programs are being restructured into a “One Stop Shop” within the Alabama Department of Commerce to facilitate business expansion and streamline economic development efforts. Following recent action by the state Legislature on guidance by Governor Robert Bentley, Commerce is creating a new Workforce Development Division headed by Ed Castile, the longtime…
Airbus Alabama workforce gets hands-on training in Europe (video)
The first fuselage sections for Airbus’ maiden “Made in America” aircraft have arrived in Alabama, but the company’s workforce has been working quietly for months getting ready to launch assembly at Airbus’ new, $600 million facility in Mobile. Airbus reports that more than 100 members of its Alabama workforce have spent up to six months…
Alabama Workforce Council issues report, launches website
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – A new era of collaboration between Alabama business leaders and education officials anchors a series of innovative initiatives that take aim at transforming workforce development efforts and improving educational outcomes in the state. These proposals are detailed in a report prepared by the Alabama Workforce Council, which is now being made available…
Alabama Workforce Council proposals aim to create pathway to high-wage jobs
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield said proposals from the Alabama Workforce Council, a panel that studied ways to advance the state’s workforce development efforts, could create a pathway that steers more Alabamians into high-wage, high-demand jobs. Secretary Canfield said the panel’s recommendations come as employers in Alabama are demanding that workers have greater levels of…
Business Alabama publishes 2015 Alabama Economic Development Guide
Business Alabama has published its 2015 Alabama Economic Development Guide, a comprehensive examination of the state’s economic climate, its key industry sectors and resources, as well as the advantages it offers for investment. The 2015 Alabama Economic Development Guide features in-depth articles focusing on the state’s geographical regions, its emerging industries, its expanding advanced manufacturing…
Alabama’s October jobless rate falls to 6.3% amid positive signs
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – A report on Alabama’s unemployment rate in October points to continuing improvement in the state’s economy. Consider: October’s preliminary rate was 6.3 percent, down from September’s rate of 6.6 percent and even with the rate a year ago. The number of employed Alabamians reached 1,948,000, the highest figure since December 2008, before…
Consultants rank Alabama a top state for business, Area Development says
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Site selection consultants surveyed by national economic development publication Area Development ranked Alabama a top state for doing business and gave high marks to the state for its labor climate and business environment. Alabama placed No. 4 in Area Development’s 2014 survey of the “Top States for Doing Business,” the fifth consecutive…
Alabama opens training center for Airbus, aerospace expansion
MOBILE, Alabama – Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield said the Alabama Aviation Training Center that officially opened Tuesday at the Mobile Aeroplex – the home of Airbus’ future U.S. passenger jet factory — represents a cornerstone in efforts to expand the state’s aerospace industry. The $7 million training facility, operated by AIDT, the state’s top-ranked job-training agency,…