Google brings Wi-Fi-equipped school buses to Alabama city
TALLADEGA, Alabama – Google is not only building a $600 million data center in Alabama, but the internet giant is also helping some school kids in a small Talladega County town get their homework done. This morning, Google announced the launch of its Rolling Study Halls program in Munford, a community with around 1,200 residents.…
Alabama jumps to No. 3 in ranking of ‘Top States for Business’
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Area Development, a national publication, ranked Alabama No. 3 in its 2018 “Top States for Business” survey and gave the state a shout-out for improved economic development policies. Alabama’s overall ranking in the Area Development survey improved three spots from 2017 and 2016. The state has placed in Top 10 of the…
Alabama grabs No. 1 business climate ranking from publication
Business Facilities, an economic development-focused publication, ranked Alabama’s business climate tops among the states in a new analysis that examined performance in several key economic categories. The publication cited Alabama’s successful recruitment of the Toyota-Mazda joint venture automobile manufacturing plant to illustrate the state’s appeal. The project, announced in January 2018, calls for a $1.6…
AIDT teams with Lockheed Martin for new Alabama training facility
TROY, Alabama – Lockheed Martin has opened a new onsite training at the company’s Pike County Operations site that was made possible with the help of AIDT, the state’s primary workforce development agency. The Advanced Manufacturing & Technology Center is a $2 million project funded by AIDT, which is part of the Alabama Department of…
Gov. Ivey announces creation of Alabama Aviation Education Center in Mobile
MONTGOMERY — Governor Kay Ivey announced plans today to create the Alabama Aviation Education Center, a hands-on instructional facility to be located near the Airbus aircraft manufacturing facility in Mobile that aims to bolster Alabama’s workforce development efforts and inspire young people to pursue careers in the state’s growing aerospace cluster. The Aviation Education Center,…
Gallup: Alabama has nation’s most engaged workforce
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – A new Gallup poll finds that Alabama has the nation’s highest percentage of “engaged” workers who are enthusiastic about their jobs. Gallup’s survey found that 37 percent of Alabama workers are engaged, ahead of Delaware, Kentucky and Louisiana at 36 percent and nine other states at 35 percent. The U.S. average was…
Innovate Birmingham partnership creates pathway to tech jobs
A program called the Innovate Birmingham Regional Workforce Partnership will deploy $6 million in federal funding to train young adults in Alabama’s largest metro area for 925 high-paying technology-focused jobs. The Innovate Birmingham partnership is supported by a broad coalition of business, community and education leaders who are committed to spurring economic growth in the…
Alabama Robotics Park Phase 3 center readies for training
TANNER, Alabama — There’s a new state-of-the-art tool in Alabama’s worker training effor. Gov. Robert Bentley and other officials today are cutting the ribbon on Phase 3 of the Robotics Technology Park, an $80 million, 85-acre campus in Limestone County where employees from Alabama companies receive training on the latest equipment from top industrial robot…
Site selectors: Alabama primed for projects, but challenges remain
Alabama has clear strengths to capitalize on the current trends in economic development, but the state also faces challenges in landing today’s lucrative jobs and capital investment projects. That was the message at today’s Alabama Economic Growth Summit hosted by Yellowhammer Multimedia at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa in Hoover. During a…
Alabama Workforce System brand unifies job services
The Alabama Workforce Council has presented a new set of recommendations to Governor Robert Bentley, including the creation and implementation of a new unified and universal brand for the Alabama Workforce System. The idea goes beyond just a logo, said Ed Castile, deputy secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, director of the worker training…