STATE OF WORKFORCE REPORT XI: Alabama (May 2019)
This report analyzes Alabama workforce supply and demand issues using available metrics of workforce characteristics and presents implications and recommendations.
http://www2.labor.alabama.gov/workforcedev/WorkforceReports/Alabama.pdf

Advantage Alabama
Click here to view available properties on AdvantageAlabama's interactive database, the one-of-a-kind selection tool developed for educators, industry, and entrepreneurs.
http://advantagealabama.com
Sample County Profile (Etowah County)

Alabama Simulated Workplace Manual
This manual will guide schools and instructors as they develop a simulated workplace in their classrooms and CTE centers. It has timelines, fillable forms, and detailed modules.
https://www.alsde.edu/sec/wfd/Pages/directors-all.aspx?tab=Simulated%20Workplace&navtext=Simulated%20Workplace

Career Success Guides
The AlabamaWorks Career SUCCESS Guides will help you learn more about the upcoming high-demand careers and their salary ranges, the steps you need to take to reach your career goals, and the resources available to help you get there. There are sixteen guides, one for each career cluster. Each guide also features six short bios of Alabamians who volunteered to share their story and path to their current work role right here in our great state.
https://alabamaworks.com/successguides

Alabama Joblink
Whether you're looking for that perfect job, that perfect employee, or information on an industry or workforce, Alabama Joblink is for you.
https://joblink.alabama.gov/ada/r/

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Alabama Career Technical Education Interactive Maps
http://www.alsde.edu/sec/wfd/Pages/maps-all.aspx?navtext=Maps

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ALSDE Workforce Development Website
http://www.alsde.edu/sec/wfd/Pages/home.aspx

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Alabama Department of Labor WFD Website
http://www2.labor.alabama.gov/workforcedev/

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Alabama Workforce Development Presentation 2017-2018 PPT

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ALSDE Program Decision Rubric
This tool can be used to compare programs.

The point values have no meaning

independently and are only useful when

comparing multiple programs

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BLS Alabama Long-Term Occupational Projections Through 2024 (by increases) - ALSDE Document

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CREDENTIALS OFFERED IN CTE SECONDARY EDUCATION PROGRAMS - ALSDE Document

Alabama Possible FAFSA Dashboard
http://alabamapossible.org/dashboard/

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Success in the New Economy
A reality check for educators, parents, and students.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs6nQpVI164

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From Josh Laney, Ed.S.
Senior Director for Workforce Development
Alabama State Department of Education
www.alsde.edu/sec/wfd


The first thing you need to know is Education is Workforce Development and Workforce Development is Economic Development. The number one limiting factor for Alabama’s potential for economic growth is the availability of skilled and qualified labor. We have the tax structure, infrastructure, climate, and real estate to attract businesses from all over the world. What we are facing now is a growing shortage of skilled and educated employees, not a shortage of people in general. This is not unique to Alabama, but is a primary concern for us. The worker shortfall is only predicted to get worse as 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 each day for the next 19 years. Many of those will be leaving skilled positions and taking their years of experience and institutional knowledge with them.

1. Accelerate Alabama 2.0 - This is the strategic plan for economic growth in the state. This document highlights the industry sectors that are at the top of the list for growth. Read this one top to bottom. Yes, it is 95 pages, but it is a good read, lots of graphics, and easily “skimmed.” - http://www.madeinalabama.com/2017/01/accelerate-alabama-2-0

2. Alabama Unemployment- Here is a map of unemployment rates across the state. It is pretty eye-opening to see the disparity from one county to the next. http://www2.labor.alabama.gov/LAUS/map.pdf If you mapped these unemployment rates to school performance figures, there would be a strong correlation.

3. Regional Workforce Councils- These councils are comprised of business and industry representatives and organized by industry cluster. When a school system needs a starting point for identifying workforce issues relevant to the industry in their region, these council meetings are the first place to go. These are not our meetings and we need to do a lot more listening than speaking when we attend. Over time, relationships develop organically through these groups and can have huge benefits for school systems. These groups are also tasked with hosting Career Expos in their regions to increase exposure for students. The main web site has a list of meeting dates and locations, description of the council setup, and other information. http://www.madeinalabama.com/workforce-and-training/regional-workforce-councils/ and the map of regions is here: http://www.madeinalabama.com/download/assets/2015/09/7-RWC-Map-wo-Clusters.jpg

4. Alabama Department of Labor- Tonya Lee and the rest of our friends at the Department of Labor produce excellent reports, posters, and data for us to use. There is a lot of info on the site, but the best place to start is at the “County Profiles.” The link to these profiles is on the lower right of the page when you scroll down. They provide excellent overviews of each county. Particularly interesting is the part of these reports that shows the commuting patterns for residents and workers in each county. You may find that a large percentage of the people in a given county go somewhere else to work, so when looking at the high demand jobs, you may have to look at other places. http://www2.labor.alabama.gov/workforcedev/

5. AlabamaWorks! – This is the unified workforce development program for the state. From the web page, you can link to a myriad of resources based on your position in the workforce. (Employers, Job Seekers, Students) The site is growing and changing, but it is a great place to start. It would take a full day to click through all of the links and follow them out to the agencies and programs they are connected to. https://alabamaworks.com/

6. Alabama Underemployment Report – This one is getting a little age on it, but I recommend reading the Executive Summary page. It gives a good idea of what “underemployment” means and what the picture is around that. It is a major issue for us in education as we strive to produce workers who have the skill sets to get the initial job and the learning skills needed to keep climbing and turn jobs into careers at their full potential. http://www2.labor.alabama.gov/workforcedev/Alabama%20Underemployment%20Report.pdf

7. State of the Workforce Reports- These reports have a lot of data and can be informative, but are also rather dense and hard to turn into compelling narrative. Statewide and area reports are the collaborative effort of several state agencies and the University of Alabama. Economic analysis is presented by the Center for Business and Economic Research(CBER) and the Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR). This is the link directly to the statewide report. http://www2.labor.alabama.gov/workforcedev/WorkforceReports/Alabama.pdfRegional reports are also available, based on the old 10 region map. The new Workforce Development Regions map is the second link in #4. Future reports will be done by this set of regions.

8. ALSDE Workforce Development Page- Lastly, this is my page on the ALSDE site. It is largely a collection of resources and links pulled together so you can have an easier jumping off point. Some of it won’t make any sense at all to start with and that’s OK. http://www.alsde.edu/sec/wfd/Pages/home.aspx Explore and ask questions. If you are stumped, confused, or overwhelmed, call me.

There is a lot to learn about workforce development in Alabama. Many state agencies have investments in this arena and it is crucial that you learn over time who are the partners and players in this. Not mentioned above are the Alabama Community College System and AIDT. They are both major allies with ALSDE as we push to get our kids on the path to success.
 

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