RSS Feed
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Postsecondary educators meet with Pulp and Paper Council "This is the first meeting that I have been a part of where industry has been so well represented and has played such a strong role in partnering with education for workforce development initiatives," said Dr. Matthew Hughes, Director of Governor Riley's Office of Workforce Development. "The industry of Southwest Alabama has significantly stepped up to the plate to partner with Alabama Southern in sponsoring scholarships-internships-jobs and in turn Alabama Southern has stepped up to the plate to meet the needs of local industry. This model should be replicated in all areas of the state," added Hughes. With the strong support of Chancellor Bradley Byrne, members of the Alabama Pulp and Paper Council (APPCO) and Postsecondary education met Tuesday on the Thomasville campus of Alabama Southern to hear about the college's nationally recognized Industry Alliance program. "The goal of this meeting is to share information from the Alabama Southern Industry Alliance model, its partners and how the scholarships-internships-jobs process is working to train the workforce for Southwest Alabama," said Rick Oates, Executive Director of APPCO. This Scholarships-Internships- Jobs partnership was pioneered in 1995 between Alabama Southern and CIBA Specialty Chemicals. Since then, the American Chemical Society has described the partnership as a "workforce development model for the nation." The National Science Foundation has described it as a "national model for technical training" and awarded Alabama Southern a $5 million grant as the National Center for Pulp and Paper Technology Training to promote similar partnerships nationwide. "Those students hit our floor with the same knowledge and experience as somebody who came off the street and been there 10 years," said Chester Vrocher, organizational development manager with Boise Cascade. "...They understand the principles." "The Alabama Southern Industry Alliance is an innovative publicprivate sector partnership," said George Clark, President of Manufacture Alabama. "This alliance has enhanced Alabama's industrial competitiveness. Workforce development is a vital issue for Alabama manufacturers, and we believe this program has and should continue to serve as a prototype for other colleges and other manufacturing companies across the state." "An alliance between a school and a group of industries is not a one-time handshake," Vrocher said. "It is a continual partnership." Eight of the advanced technology manufacturers in Southwest Alabama have committed approximately 40 scholarships and internships to recruit top students into a pipeline to the region's best jobs. These scholarships and internships are for one of four advanced technology programs depending upon industry needs: (1) Paper and Chemical Technology, (2) Instrumentation and Robotics, (3) Industrial Maintenance and Electrical Technology, and (4) Machine Technology Millwright. "This industry alliance reflects the visionary leadership of our local industry leaders," said Dr. John A. Johnson, Alabama Southern President. "They know that a technologically advanced workforce is the key to their success." The eight members of the Alabama Southern Industry Alliance include Alabama River Pulp, Boise Paper, CIBA, Louisiana Pacific and Temple Inland, Weyerhaeuser, Olin Chemical and Rock Tenn.
The Alabama Pulp and Paper Council (APPCO) represents the pulp and paper industry in the state of Alabama. Each of the 13 pulp and paper mills in Alabama are corporate members.
|
for larger version       |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
