Alabama Department of Workforce aims to prepare Alabama’s workers for the future
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) — Governor Kay Ivey recently announced that the newly established Alabama Department of Workforce will replace the state’s Department of Labor. The move is part of an effort to better prepare Alabama’s workforce for the future.
In her State of the State address last week, Ivey highlighted the state’s progress in job creation but emphasized the need to increase the labor force participation rate. “We are attracting significant business investments and new jobs, and we are helping our existing companies grow, and it is imperative that we prepare our workforce,” she said.
Former Alabama Senator Greg Reed has been appointed as the department’s first secretary. The agency will focus on initiatives such as a new career pathways diploma for high school students and programs to assist veterans in finding employment. Additionally, a 45-member council comprised of business leaders, appointed by the governor, will contribute to a public-private collaboration aimed at enhancing workforce development.
Reed said the department’s mission is to ensure a strong workforce for both current and future needs. “If those that are going to invest in Alabama want to make a wise choice to come to Alabama for all of these good reasons, then they’re gonna ask one question: How can you guarantee me a workforce today and in the future? And that’s what we’re gonna be focused on in the new agency of the Alabama Department of Workforce,” Reed said.
The new department will continue to oversee responsibilities such as workplace safety, child labor enforcement, unemployment benefits, workers’ compensation, labor market data, and workplace inspections.
The Alabama Workforce Transformation Act, which created the department, was signed into law during last year’s legislative session as part of an effort to streamline workforce development in the state.
