As printed in the Q1 2024 ACCS Alabama Minute Newsletter.

No matter a resident’s journey toward work in Alabama’s robust economy, the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) has a program or service that can route them to success. We call it the Alabama Career Roadmap.

The Alabama Career Roadmap fuels opportunities for every Alabama high school student to make informed, intentional decisions about their future after high school. The goal is for every Alabama high school senior to have earned at least one postsecondary credit or workforce credential by 2029, better equipping them for success in Alabama’s workforce.

In addition, the Alabama Career Roadmap more aggressively deploys our existing efforts to assist adults with postsecondary and specialized skills training that helps them progress in the workforce.

Eddie Jordan, a construction supervisor who recently upskilled in a short-term construction class at Northeast Alabama Community College, shared his experience.

“In just a short time I learned a lot, with safety being the biggest thing,” he said. “The college goes out of the way of making sure the class is as convenient for us as possible. I think I’ll be with my company until the end, so the higher up I can move, the better.”

The roadmap is already working for businesses like Southeast Gas who collaborate with the ACCS Innovation Center’s Skills for Success program.

“Having every member of our construction crew CDL certified is invaluable. What would have been three to four weeks, and at a cost, Skills for Success and LBW Community College gave us the opportunity to train students faster and at no cost,” said Shannon Jackson, Southeast Gas Director of Corporate Services.

The avenue for transfer opportunities, paid apprenticeships, and degrees are accessible on the Alabama Career Roadmap.

More than 156,000 students have started their educational journey at their local community college. Of those who graduate, 71% continue to work, support their families, and make valuable contributions to Alabama’s workforce.

More information about the Alabama Career Roadmap is available at www.accs.edu/roadmap.

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