AIDT Admin – AlabamaWorks!

Alabama Workforce Council delivers 2023 annual report outlining improved career pathways

AIDT Admin — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 14:05:04 +0000

In 2018, Governor Ivey established the Success Plus postsecondary education attainment goal of adding 500,000 credentialed workers to the workforce by 2025.

With labor market conditions nearing full employment in Alabama, meeting the Success Plus goal requires increasing Alabama’s labor force participation rate (LFPR). The LFPR is the percentage of the civilian non-institutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work. As a result, Governor Ivey set a goal of surpassing the national LFPR by 2025.

With a November 2023 non-seasonally adjusted LFPR of 57.1%, Alabama ranks 47th in the nation (tied with Kentucky and above only Mississippi, South Carolina, and West Virginia). A one-percentage-point increase in Alabama’s LFPR represents approximately 23,000 additional Alabamians participating in the labor force. Increasing Alabama’s LFPR to the national average of 62.8% would add 131,100 Alabamians to the labor force. Alabama’s 78.4 percent prime-age labor force participation rate (25-54) also lags 4.9 percentage points behind the national average of 83.3 percent, which represents a delta of 112,700 prime-age Alabamians who are not working.

Our state will not reach its goals with nearly half of its working-age people on the sidelines. Alabama must, and can, do better, but it will require realignment of Alabama’s public workforce system to make it more effective and efficient. We must address postsecondary attainment and labor force participation together. Economic growth is booming in areas across Alabama with the highest levels of attainment and labor force participation. In the counties with a low LFPR, there is also limited postsecondary attainment and economic growth.

There are more available jobs than there are unemployed Alabamians. Therefore, we must focus on increasing the number of people participating in the labor market and coordinating our workforce programs. We must focus our efforts on increasing the LFPR with the same passion and focused leadership that we have placed in past years on important issues such as literacy and high school completion. Increasing the LFPR requires shared goals, coordination, and shared accountability metrics.

In the next legislative session, it is time to finish the job of aligning our workforce programs to meet the demands of our economy. Alabama must be a leader in all endeavors, with a particular focus on our workforce. We want Alabama to be a model for talent training and development, inspiring other states to aspire to become as good as Alabama.

This report outlines steps that should be taken through executive action and through the legislative and budgetary processes to align Alabama’s workforce system. These recommendations are focused on efficiency and cleaning up the motley mix of programs that are serving far too few of Alabama’s employers and job seekers.

This report was developed with the people of Alabama, and the taxpayers of Alabama, in mind. Achieving government efficiency often “ruffles a few feathers,” but we present this report as both the customers of, and funders of, Alabama’s public workforce system. With that in mind, we offer this report and recommendations for reforming Alabama’s public workforce system.

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Statewide Survey of People with Disabilities in Alabama Aged 18-64

AIDT Admin — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 16:59:38 +0000

The Alabama Workforce Council conducted a Statewide Survey of People with Disabilities in Alabama Aged 18-64.

The survey was conducted by Cygnal between September 25th and October 6th, 2023, and 109 Alabama residents with a disability or other chronic condition responded to the survey. Females formed a narrow majority (51 percent) of the respondents, and 49 percent were male. Respondents lived primarily in a rural community (41 percent).

Most respondents are unemployed (77 percent). Disability-related limitations were the primary reason for unemployment among 88 percent of unemployed respondents. Other barriers to employment include a negative workplace environment (29 percent) and a work environment that is inaccessible or lacks accommodations (33 percent).

Most respondents (80 percent) are not earning a living wage (only 13 percent earn $15.65 per hour or more). Just over half (51 percent) of the respondents earned a household income of less than $20,000. Men were more likely than women to earn a living wage. A majority of respondents (62 percent) are currently receiving Social Security benefits due to a disability; of that, 70 percent are receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) based on age, disability, and limited income, and 39.5 percent are receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) based on their disability and years of payroll taxes paid to the Social Security Administration. Men aged 50 to 64 and women over 35 are among the most likely to use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits; however, single households are more likely to use SNAP benefits than married households.

The most (81 percent) respondents did not receive services or accommodations through an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan during their K-12 education, with 5 percent receiving services in high school and 3 percent receiving services throughout the duration of their schooling.

Most respondents were unfamiliar with the AlabamaWorks! Program (68 percent unfamiliar/unsure). Men tend to be slightly more familiar with the program than women. Only 36 percent of the respondents have used the Alabama Career Center System.

Only 43 percent of respondents were familiar with Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) offered by the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services (ADRS), including the 11 percent of respondents who have received services from ADRS.

According to the Statewide Survey of Employed and Unemployed Youth in Alabama conducted in August 2023, over 24 percent of unemployed youth have an illness or disability, with 19 percent citing it as the primary reason for their unemployment. The Statewide Survey of People with Disabilities in Alabama Aged 18-64 seeks to understand the barriers that people with disabilities are facing when it comes to entering the workforce or seeking workforce training.

Statewide Survey of Employed and Unemployed Youth in Alabama

AIDT Admin — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 12:57:58 +0000

The Alabama Workforce Council conducted a survey across Alabama to gather insights from employed and unemployed individuals aged 16 to 24.

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Alabama has the highest rate of young people who are neither in school nor employed, reaching 18 percent, of the estimated 492,021 Alabamians aged 18-24.

The survey was carried out by Cygnal from August 3rd to 21st, 2023, and received responses from 404 young people who were either employed or unemployed. Among the 245 employed respondents, 51% identified as male and 49% as female. In the group of 159 unemployed respondents, 46% were male and 54% were female.

The survey revealed that 80% of young people in Alabama are content with their jobs, and satisfaction tends to increase as income rises. The primary cause of job dissatisfaction is pay (19%). The study also found that 79% of unemployed youth in Alabama have either completed high school or earned a GED. However, 13% of those surveyed reported lacking reliable transportation to commute to work, while nearly 60% of workers have missed work due to car breakdowns. A significant number of workers don’t have access to public transportation; half of them spend over 30 minutes on their commute, and transportation issues have led a third of workers to quit or lose their jobs.

About two-thirds of unemployed young individuals are actively searching for work, with urban residents more likely to seek employment compared to their rural counterparts. Additionally, 37% of workers have postponed taking new jobs, changing positions within the same company, or enrolling in school or training due to concerns about losing benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and 52% reported apprehensions about losing Medicaid benefits.

Reasons for unemployment include personal and family responsibilities (24%), with over a third of unemployed young people caring for family members. About 24% cited their own illness or disability as the primary cause of unemployment, especially among those under 21. Lack of transportation is also a significant obstacle, affecting 19% of unemployed young people. Furthermore, 39% of unemployed respondents lack a driver’s license, and 52% have unreliable transportation or depend on other factors for their commute.

Substance abuse (7%) and felony convictions (1%) have had minimal impact on job searches among the unemployed young respondents. Only 3% have a military background. Among those with felony convictions, almost half have participated in educational programs.

Interestingly, only one in five unemployed young people are familiar with AlabamaWorks!, and awareness is slightly higher in urban and rural areas. Merely 16% have used a career center, and three-quarters of those searching for jobs fall into this category. A majority (60%) are unaware of work-based learning programs available to them. However, 60% expressed interest in utilizing these career and educational resources if they had more information, and online platforms were found to be the most effective channels for raising awareness. Specifically, 40% use job search sites like Indeed, showing a preference by a 33% margin over LinkedIn. Additionally, 21% of respondents use online searches.

For reaching young people in Alabama, YouTube and other non-Twitter social media platforms prove to be the most effective avenues. Nearly a quarter of unemployed young individuals spend more than 5 hours daily on social media, especially if they are unemployed and under the age of 21.

Alabama Selected To Participate In NGA Youth Apprenticeship Policy Academy

AIDT Admin — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 20:10:40 +0000

Alabama is one of 6 states recently selected to participate in the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) Policy Academy to Advance Youth Apprenticeship.

The Policy Academy offers participating states a yearlong opportunity designed to support them as they develop policy agendas that advance high-quality youth apprenticeship opportunities. Participating states will also receive a $50,000 grant award to execute their project activities.

Governor Kay Ivey posted on social media, “Good news for Alabama! And good news for the young men and women preparing for our workforce! Our workforce development efforts focus on connecting our students’ educational journeys with real-world jobs. That’s what it’s all about, y’all.”

“We are especially proud of our Alabama Office of Apprenticeship (AOA). This multi-state opportunity is another example of the AOA’s superior work. The work of the AOA, STEM development, and many other Commerce workforce initiatives demonstrate Secretary Greg Canfield’s commitment to developing the Alabama workforce. These efforts move us closer to meeting Governor Ivey’s Success Plus goals in developing a strong workforce for the very successful economic sectors within the state. I applaud the AOA Team and look forward to the outcomes,” said Ed Castile, Deputy Secretary of Commerce for Workforce Programs.

The Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA) – a collaborative initiative led by New America for which the NGA Center has served as national partner since its inception in 2018 – defines youth apprenticeship as a structured, work-based learning program designed to start when apprentices are in high school. PAYA’s definition of youth apprenticeship also includes the following four elements that support high-quality programs and outcomes for students and employers.

“We are always pleased to be a part of the broad workforce initiatives going on in Alabama and immensely appreciative of the support of Governor Ivey. Being chosen to participate in this NGA policy academy gives us a chance to share our successes and learn from our peers around the nation, bringing home and implementing the very best ideas,” said Josh Laney, Director of the AOA.

Tim McCartney, Alabama Workforce Council Chairman said, “The AWC is proud to support this innovative in-school youth apprenticeship policy academy. This project will help us reach disconnected youth, which is a target population for reaching the Success Plus goals.”

Read the National Governors Association full press release:
https://www.nga.org/news/press-releases/6-states-selected-to-participate-in-nga-youth-apprenticeship-policy-academy/

Alabama Workforce Council Releases Survey on Barriers to Employment for Hourly Workers

AIDT Admin — Wed, 31 May 2023 13:31:28 +0000

The Alabama Workforce Council conducted the Statewide Survey of Alabama Hourly Employees to identify barriers preventing workers, especially those from Alabama’s 16 special populations, from accessing education, training, or going to work.

The survey was conducted by Cygnal between May 9th and 18th, 2023, and 408 hourly workers responded to the survey. 39% were male and 61% were female. The results of the survey identified an array of barriers for these workers.

The majority of those surveyed identified childcare as a very important factor in their ability to attend work regularly. 52% of parents have missed work because they don’t have childcare. In addition, 38% of working parents drive their kids to school.

Transportation also remains a barrier for hourly workers. Half of workers drive over 30 minutes in their commute, and a third of workers have lost or quit their job due to transportation issues. Nearly 60% of workers have missed work due to their car breaking down, a majority of workers do not have access to public transportation, and 13% of those surveyed reported that they have no other reliable transportation to work.

More than a third of those surveyed reported delaying a new job, taking a new position with the same employer, or entering school or training for fear of losing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. 52% reported a similar course of action for fear of losing Medicaid.

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