Alabama Workforce Leaders Highlight Career Tech Advancements and Future Plans
Alabama's top officials, including Workforce Secretary Greg Reed and House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, discussed the state's workforce development efforts at the Yellowhammer News' Legislative Preview event. Reed highlighted the achievements of the newly established Alabama Department of Workforce, which transitioned from the Department of Labor. In its first year, the agency has increased the number of trained workers by 25,000. Ledbetter emphasized the importance of expanding career technical education and suggested that students should be introduced to career tech pathways earlier than the current 11th and 12th grades. He shared a story illustrating the life-changing impact of career tech programs, where a student was offered a full-time job with a salary higher than his parents' combined income. The state invested $100 million in career tech facilities last year, and there is a push to increase this funding. 
