A message from AlabamaWorks!
MONTGOMERY – More than 800 training and education leaders from across the country met virtually this month for an Alabama-hosted conference on how to prepare America’s workforce for the future.
The 2021 Alabama Interstate Talent Development Convening brought together experts from 41 states and Washington, D.C. to share talent development strategies and discuss plans to upgrade the knowledge and skills of workers.
Gov. Kay Ivey addressed the attendees and discussed how the state is focused on adding 500,000 credentialed Alabamians to the workforce by 2025 through its Success Plus plan and assisting individuals who have been displaced by COVID-19.
“Many of these individuals are now unemployed or underemployed, which presents an opportunity for them to enroll in a training program that will allow them to upskill or retool into an occupation that provides a family-sustaining wage,” said Gov. Ivey.
Jamie Merisotis, CEO of the Lumina Foundation, said Alabama’s workforce development goals are “a model” for other states and praised Alabama’s efforts to help citizens find careers in in-demand industries.
“The Governor’s Office of Education and Workforce Transformation is among the most comprehensive offices in the country. With a robust state credential registry and regional labor market data, Alabama is providing its citizens with insights into in-demand industries and jobs and the tools to pursue them,” Merisotis said.
The Lumina Foundation is an independent foundation that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all.
The Alabama Interstate Talent Development Convening also included 18 breakout sessions and 59 speakers and panelists discussing various subjects related to expanding educational opportunities and workforce training strategies.
“Few issues demand more attention or urgency from states than building a workforce for the future,” said Merisotis.
To watch the breakout sessions and review presentation materials, click here.