Anyone who follows Montgomery’s annual legislative session knows that it is no shortage of controversy.
The House has its priorities, the Senate has its priorities, the governor has its priorities. And it’s safe to say that those priorities are not always the same. Let’s take the game from this session as an example.
But there is one big push this session that will bring all of the state’s top elected leaders together. It’s an ambitious workforce, economic and community development package called “Working for Alabama.”
At a launch event in Montgomery last month, Gov. Kay Ivey joined Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth and Republican and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate to announce the seven bills that make up the Working for Alabama legislative package. A rare event occurred.
So what does Working for Alabama do? Let’s start with the workforce development part. Currently, Alabama’s labor force participation rate is among the worst in the nation. Anyone with decent eyesight can tell this by looking at the countless “Now Hiring” signs on the windshields of businesses across the state.
The jobs exist, there just aren’t enough people trained and equipped to do them. This is the Achilles heel for our state’s economic growth. Companies cannot and will not set up shop in locations that do not have the workers necessary to operate them.
This is a real problem, but legislative leaders have embraced the challenge. through the committee on the 21st. After years of hard work, research, and study with Century Workforce, this committee has produced a report that outlines some common sense methods to help create a workforce that is second to none in Alabama.
The Alabama Workforce Transformation Act would consolidate overlapping state agencies that currently operate in workforce silos, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing government waste. The Secretary of Labor would become the Secretary of Labor and would act as a kind of “quarterback” to make sure these organizations are doing their jobs and getting results.
You can think of this like an architectural project. If you have a large number of independent contractors and no general contractor to oversee whether they are working together effectively, it will be a pretty sloppy job and the results will be mixed. The same goes for human resource development.
Alabama officials also recognize that a significant number of high school students do not plan to attend a four-year college. Honestly, many of them don’t need to. There are high-paying, high-demand jobs that don’t require a four-year college degree. This is where Alabama’s excellent community college system will have a major impact on the success of this plan. This package allows high school students to take full advantage of this valuable state resource and gain certifications and training while in school, so they can land a good job right after graduation. This will enable more young people to start strong careers that allow them to support their families and contribute to their communities.
The package aims to eliminate barriers to employment through child care tax credits, so parents don’t have to stay home because child care is unaffordable. This is a priority for Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter and will help countless families.
Working for Alabama will also bring significant improvements to our state’s current economic development efforts. States are required to develop economic development plans that are regularly updated and receive input from industry committees. The good thing about this plan is that it measures success, so state economic development leaders can see if what they’re doing is actually working, and if it’s not. You can change what you’re doing. Pro-Tem Senate President Greg Reed is spearheading the effort. He continued to be a leader in economic development throughout his Congressional tenure.
This bipartisan plan will also invest in our communities through key resources such as funding for high-speed internet expansion, industrial land development to recruit industry talent, and other key areas. Governor Kay Ivey, Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth, House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, Pro-Tem President Greg Reed, Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, and House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels all worked together on this project. By accomplishing the plan, the results will make Alabama truly powerful. Sustaining our economy and workforce for years to come.
It’s good to see all of our state’s top elected leaders coming together to work for Alabama.
see you next week.
