For the second consecutive year, the Regional Workforce Development Rankings have placed Alabama the No. 1 state in the South Central region for overall employment climate.
The rankings are conducted by Site Selection magazine, an international business publication reporting on economic development within the U.S. The analysis recognizes states that performed well in a set of measures that gauge workforce-related aspects of states’ overall employment climate.
In a statement to Yellowhammer News, Alabama Department of Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield said the Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT) department plays a major role in the rankings.
“One of Alabama’s key advantages in economic development is our workforce training programs, which provides a foundation for the support system we have in place to help companies in many different industries find and develop the skilled workers they need to achieve success,” he said. “AIDT is at the core of our workforce development efforts, and its contribution to the state’s economic growth over the decades has been immense.
“Fortunately for us, AIDT’s culture of innovation will carry that impact forward far into the future.”
The criteria Site Selection uses to rank the states includes:
- CNBC’s America’s Top States for Business, 2022 Workforce sub-ranking;
- U.S. News’ 2021 Best States for Education ranking;
- ACT National Career Readiness Certificates for 2021;
- Workforce Preparation and Development component of the Council for Community and Economic Research’s State Economic Development Program Expenditures Database; and
- Meeting or exceeding the requirements of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
