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Chancellor Byrne touts two-year system's training as playing big role in Alabama's growing economy
Byrne spoke Jan. 24 at the Parents Night job fair held at Jackson High School. Area industries such as Boise and Ciba, and colleges such as Alabama Southern and Bishop State, had booths at the event. "…The economy in this part of the State of Alabama has gone through an incredible change. We now have thousands upon thousands of good paying jobs, either already here or are coming." The new ThyssenKrupp steel plant will feature 2,700 direct jobs, Byrne said. "The ratio of supplier to plant is 10 to 1." The resulting total of jobs branching out from TK will be 30,000, he said. "These are really good jobs, high wages and good benefits." Byrne also mentioned thousands of new jobs that will come from the new container port at the Mobile docks, the expansion of three ship builders, and state officials believe Mobile will also soon have an AirBus tanker cargo aircraft manufacturing plant. He also sees a boom in the healthcare industry in Mobile. Workforce training at Alabama Southern or Bishop State can give people a start toward anyone of these new jobs, Byrne said. "These employers are looking for people who will be good, long term employees. They don't want to have a lot of turnover….They've got great plans for the future of our area." "The main reason we do workforce development is so we can all live here and we can have the quality of life we all want to have," said Al Etheridge, coordinator for Region 9, Alabama Office of Workforce Development. Region 9 includes Clarke, Washington, Monroe, Conecuh, Escambia, Baldwin and Mobile Counties. Area industries are looking for employees with a work ethic and people who are willing to learn. "…We have to get people ready for the workforce….The state has put forth a huge amount of energy and time right now to come up with plans to get people to this point. "…Good jobs - they are out there," Etheridge said. "Unless you're ready for them, they are going to pass you by and go to somebody else." Jobs are available in the following industries: pulp and paper, aviation, construction, healthcare, automotive, finance and steel (ThyssenKrupp). "ThyssenKrupp is going to get its people. It will cause a ripple effect for everybody else. ThyssenKrupp is going to hire from everybody in a 70-mile circle." The state workforce development office want to prepare people to back-fill when companies such as Boise and Ciba lose people to TK. "We have basically two years to get ready and we're already behind. I would encourage anybody that has any aspirations for getting a better job to start working on the skills you need." Dr. John Johnson, president of Alabama Southern Community College, announced that approximately 800 high school students will attend the Advanced Technology and Technical Careers Fair Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at the ASCC campus in Thomasville. Nine manufacturers in southwest Alabama contribute sponsorships and internships, and information will be available at the fair. Johnson also announced at Parents Night that Ciba had returned as a sponsor in the industry alliance. (Boise, Alabama River Pulp, Louisiana Pacific, Olin Chemical, Rock- Tenn, Temple Inland, Weyerhaeuser and Westervelt are also included in the alliance.)
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