Site consultants rank Alabama a top state in Area Development survey
Site selection professionals surveyed by national publication Area Development once again ranked Alabama in the top five states for doing business, citing its strong labor climate and workforce development programs. Alabama ranked No. 5 in Area Development’s 2015 “Top States For Doing Business” analysis, appearing this week online. It’s the sixth consecutive year that Alabama…
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…
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…
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,…
Governor Robert Bentley: Education, business alliance will boost Alabama economic development
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Alabama Governor Robert Bentley told state economic development officials that a strong alliance of the business and education communities is key to fostering economic development and alleviating poverty across the state. Bentley, speaking Tuesday at the Economic Development Association of Alabama’s winter conference at the Riverchase Galleria’s Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, said…
Alabama economic developers, educators team for new workforce development strategies
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Top Alabama education officials and economic developers increasingly are on the same page when it comes to workforce development strategies, crafting initiatives that align classroom learning with critical workplace needs. At a forum sponsored by the Birmingham Business Alliance, Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield and high-ranking state education officials described how…
Alabama Community College System building support network for entrepreneurs
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – The Alabama Community College System, a key workforce development component in the state, is stepping up efforts to prepare the next generation of Alabama business owners with initiatives to help budding entrepreneurs increase their chances of success. “The Alabama Community College System holds the key to the state’s workforce development needs, and…
