A collection of Alabama workforce development groups has partnered to create a new survey of business owners with the goal of identifying which jobs are in-demand and what credentials people must have to fill them.
The project’s success demands as many business owners as possible fill out the survey. The goal is ultimately for state agencies to have actionable data so they can prioritize certain workforce development programs.
Ultimately, the groups would like to create a system where individuals get jobs based on having certain skills instead of the often required college degree.
The effort is called the Governor’s Survey of Employer Competencies; it a partnership between AlabamaWorks, the Alabama Workforce Council, Governor Kay Ivey’s office, and the Alabama Committee on Credentialing and Career Pathways (ACCCP).
The survey itself is hosted online by the University of Alabama’s Education Policy Center, which appears to be another partner in the initiative.
“This survey is vitally important as we continue in our ‘Strong Start, Strong Finish’ education and workforce initiative,” said Governor Kay Ivey in a statement.
The survey, new in 2020, will now be conducted annually according to a release. The data generated will be primarily handled by the ACCCP and its 16 Technical Advisory Committees
“The future of workforce in Alabama will be highly impacted by these efforts to establish clear career pathways that are built upon the skills and knowledge shown to be in the most need and provide the highest value for employees and employers across the state,” said Tim McCartney, chairman of the Alabama Workforce Council.
The introductory page for the survey says it takes 15 minutes to complete, and it will be open from now until through 5:00 p.m. on June 26.
“We remain committed to our post-secondary attainment goal of adding 500,000 highly skilled employees to the workforce by 2025, and this survey will help us clearly identify the in-demand careers and associated skills that will help us develop the necessary competency models needed to reach that goal and provide quality opportunities for Alabama’s citizens” added Ivey.
The full survey can be accessed here.
Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95
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