Alabama residents who are displaced, in career fields with low wages or who are new to the workforce but face barriers now have a streamlined workforce development process that helps them navigate in-demand careers.
Mobilizing Alabama Pathways, or MAPs, was released this week. The skills-based workforce training program through Alabama’s community colleges and adult education providers is the result of a federal grant that creates the Alabama Workforce Stabilization Program (AWSP). AWSP provides opportunities for nearly 8,000 Alabama workers in conjunction with nine partners: Governor Kay Ivey’s Office; Alabama Workforce Council (AWC); Alabama Community College System (ACCS); Alabama Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA); Alabama Department of Labor; VitAL; Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta; Alabama Office of Apprenticeship Pre-apprenticeship Program; and AIDT.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey expressed her support for the MAPs program. “Providing short-term credentials that transfer to long-term degrees is a key strategy for reaching Alabama’s attainment goal of adding 500,000 credentialed workers to Alabama’s workforce by 2025. I want to thank Chancellor Baker and each partner for their leadership in establishing the Mobilizing Alabama’s Pathways program, which will help us create stackable career pathways for our most in-demand industries.”
MAPs are short-term, virtual training programs for high-demand jobs in Alabama. Students can complete the credentialed programs in less time than other college credentials. The first MAPs were created for high demand and high wage industries in the state, including healthcare, transportation & logistics, information technology, manufacturing, and construction. In the coming months, additional industries will be added to the available list of training.
Students can access MAPs through their local adult education provider after completingReady to Work (RTW), a self-paced online training class that provides basic skills to succeed at most of Alabama’s businesses and industries. After completing MAPs, students have the option to participate in hands-on training through a variety of other training options.
The short length of the credentialed programs allows students a chance to determine if a career field is for them without dedicating months to a career path that they may not enjoy. “MAPs offer the ability for adults to gain valuable information in a career and credentials for success that may not otherwise be accessible,” stated Courtney Monnette, Alabama Community College System Adult Education Specialist.
