MONTGOMERY, Ala. – State workforce development leaders have officially launched the Alabama Talent Triad, which is billed as the nation’s “first full-scale learning ecosystem” using skills as the primary means by which workers are connected with available jobs.
Following a six month pilot program managed by EBSCO, the state is launching the Talent Triad statewide where it will serve more than 19,000 jobseekers, including students, and more than 50 employers.
Greg DiDonato, EBSCO Vice President and leading Talent Triad Developer, said the company is excited about the partnership with AlabamaWorks.
“EBSCO is honored to be the trusted partner of the State of Alabama to operationalize through technology its revolutionary skills-based economy, bringing together students, jobseekers, employers, and education; training providers to create a true marketplace for skills that will benefit all Alabamians.”
Just a day after the Talent Triad announcement, Alabama got more good news: the state has been selected as one of six winners of a $1.4 million grant aimed at helping workforce developers adopt better data-driven approaches, specifically learning and employer records. According to a press release from AlabamaWorks, LERs are digital records of an individual’s formal and informal learning and employment and can be used to represent diverse experiences on the job or inside the classroom.
The grant comes from SkillsFWD, a partnership of companies and organizations seeking to help workforce developers implement skills-based hiring systems. The grants are meant to assist states in solving problems around the development of LERs with the ultimate goal being more workers connected with better jobs.
Workforce development has become a top issue in Alabama over the last year as the state’s workforce participation rate has lagged far behind the national average at around 57%. Gov. Kay Ivey has made it an administration priority to bring that number up by identifying and removing barriers that keep people from pursuing jobs.
State leaders are counting on the Talent Triad being an important step in that long process.
The Alabama Talent Triad is a decisive tool for connecting employers to skilled individuals who are looking for opportunities,” said Tim McCartney, Chairman of the Alabama Workforce Council. “This system will finally accomplish what we have been talking about doing for decades – connecting talent to the economy using skills.”
Dawn Karber, director of SkillsFWD, said data can make a big difference for workforce agencies who are trying to understand which available workers are right for which available jobs.
“LERs have the potential to transform the landscape of workforce and economic development, but there is still a gap between the existence of these records and their adoption and use by individuals and employers,” Karber said.
According to AlabamaWorks, the Talent Triad will be available free of charge for all Alabama employers, students and jobseekers. The portal is available online at talent.alabamaworks.com.