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Last Friday, Sept. 13, at the quarterly ACHE Commission Meeting, Joseph Lulka, an engineer at Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, discussed workforce development in Alabama from a young professional’s perspective. A University of Alabama graduate, Lulka shared insights on how his academic journey aligns with ACHE’s “Building Human Capital” statewide plan, specifically Priority Four: Developing Alabama’s Economy and Workforce.
He emphasized three key practices to be considered for ensuring student success:
- Requiring high school students to complete job shadowing hours to explore career options.
- Strengthening ties between industry and academia to enhance higher education’s community role (Priority Four: Goal One).
- Promoting language learning across all fields to meet workforce needs, especially with Alabama’s expansion of international companies (Priority Four: Goal Two).
Lulka concluded by commending ACHE’s plan as led by Dr. Purcell and by acknowledging the vast opportunities for young professionals in the state of Alabama.
Executive Director Jim Purcell briefed the Commissioners on his recent activities representing ACHE and Alabama, registration information for the AI Conference at Auburn in October, federal level changes to withholding students’ transcripts, and state level institutional requirements. He also highlighted top challenges in higher education management as outlined by Full Fabric, a higher education admissions and enrollment platform, and data from the Lumina Foundation in regard to Alabama’s educational attainment.
Commissioners approved the following new academic programs:
Troy University
Master of Business Administration in Analytics
University of Alabama
Bachelor of Science in Informatics
Bachelor of Science in Real Estate
Master of Arts in Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy in Criminology and Criminal Justice
University of Montevallo
Master of Science in Nutrition
University of North Alabama
Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant
Master of Science in Occupational Therapy
University of West Alabama
Master of Science in Nursing in Nursing
Coastal Alabama Community College
Associate of Applied Science in Advanced Manufacturing-Mechatronics
Gadsden State Community College
Associate of Applied Science in Surgical Technology
Trenholm State Community College
Associate of Applied Science in Data Analytics
