The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices this week named Alabama to a select group of states chosen to mentor peer-states on building and scaling high-quality work-based learning programs.
Crucial to the 21st century workforce and economy, work-based learning better prepares student-employees for high-wage, high-demand jobs through on-the-job training that simultaneously provides key experience with a technical education.
“Alabama is excited to participate as a mentor state in the third phase of the NGA’s work-based learning Policy Academy due to the remarkable results of our participation in Phase II of the Policy Academy,” said Gov. Kay Ivey. “Collaborating with states who are similarly engaged in expanding a currency of valuable credentials, competency-based learning, and work-based learning has helped Alabama connect education and the economy by aligning education and workforce programs to employer demand. We are eager to share our successes and to learn from the best practices of other states during Phase III of the Policy Academy.”
Alabama will join five other states – Nevada, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Utah, and Washington – in mentoring a group of states in three upcoming learning labs over the next two years. The learning labs, which greatly align with Governor Ivey’s Success Plus Plan, will focus on using applied data to formulate and structure work-based learning approaches, ensuring rural communities and other underrepresented populations have opportunities and access to work-based learning programs, and building key relationships needed to expand work-based learning.
“This selection by the National Governors Association is a solid indication of Alabama’s commitment to increasing the state’s labor participation rate through the AlabamaWorks initiative,” said Ed Castile, Deputy Secretary for the Alabama Department of Commerce. “Across the state, we are working with business and industry to expand our efforts in preparing a well-trained, high-skilled, quality workforce.”
The NGA Center for Best Practices selected the six mentor states, based upon prior participation in the Policy Academy on Scaling Work-Based Learning, to share best practices and lessons learned from their experience in the Policy Academy through the learning labs.
For more information on the Work-Based Learning Policy Academy please follow this link. Additional information on AlabamaWorks can be at www.alabamaworks.com.
