The construction industry has an economic impact of $17 billion in Alabama, and when the Associated Builders and Contractors of Alabama (ABC of Alabama) meet, workforce development is always at the top of the list of topics to discuss.
The ABC of Alabama has a long-standing commitment to increasing candidate recruitment, removing barriers to entry, and providing training to the next generation of Alabama construction workers. Our industry is also continually looking for ways to increase the number of Alabamians participating in the construction labor market. Thus, it was music to our ears when Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Legislature reorganized the Department of Labor into the Alabama Department of Workforce.
Our state leaders took a bold step and created a unified workforce ecosystem – a central hub where education, industry and government can collaborate to drive economic growth for decades to come.
The Department of Workforce is led by former State Senate Pro-Tem Greg Reed, who has long been a champion of workforce development initiatives in the Alabama Legislature and a true friend to the construction industry.
At the ABC of Alabama, we look forward to partnering with Ivey, Reed, and other state leaders to make a real impact. Our state economy has high-paying jobs that we need to train and recruit Alabamians to fill.
When the business community and policymakers work together, we can have a holistic approach to strengthening the workforce. We can ensure that those entering or reentering the labor market have the necessary training and certifications to fill available jobs.
The Academy of Craft Training (ACT) is one way we do this. ACT is a workforce development initiative that allows high school students to learn valuable trades directly from industry professionals. We want to enable these students to secure their futures in construction with hands-on experience at an early age.
I recently coordinated a tour of our Academy of Craft training for Reed. After touring it, Reed reinforced his department's commitment to partnership, saying: “This is exactly the kind of collaboration Workforce Alabama was built to support – industry and education working together to create pathways for Alabamians. When we connect people to opportunities like this, everyone wins.”
As industry leaders, we are doing everything possible to recruit, train, and retain our workforce, and it is encouraging that our state leaders are putting skin in the game.
Informing and educating the public on the career opportunities available to them is a critical piece of improving our workforce participation rate and filling the jobs that will allow our state economy to thrive like never before.
We are excited to see the great things that Reed and his team will accomplish, and we look forward to partnering with them to deliver real results for the people of Alabama and the state’s construction industry. When construction wins, Alabama wins.
Tim Harrison is the chairman of the Associated Builders and Contractors Board.
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