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Alabama Workforce Council urges stronger K–12 focus on basic academic skills, soft skills and career readiness
Summary
Industry leaders told the State Board that Alabama employers face staff shortages and poor basic skills among some new hires and asked for policy steps including a career/college readiness indicator and alignment of CTE programs to in‑demand occupations.
Industry leaders from the Alabama Workforce Council presented a set of workforce-focused recommendations to the State Board of Education on Nov. 18, urging closer alignment between K–12 education and employer needs and urging policy changes to raise basic academic and work-readiness outcomes.
Tim McCartney, chair of the Alabama Workforce Council, introduced industry members and framed business concerns about literacy, numeracy, soft skills and attendance. Several industry speakers told the board employers confront applicants who struggle with basic tasks such as filling out job applications or simple arithmetic.
Alan Harris of Bailey Harris Construction said on production lines and construction sites “workers must be able to add, subtract, and count to a 100. Less than 40% can.” Other industry representatives described high turnover, “no‑show” hires and the loss of local contracts when firms cannot staff orders.
Recommendations and proposals The council summarized ten recommended actions (the council said it began with nine recommendations and later added a tenth). Key asks included: - Establishing a statewide list of in-demand occupations and aligning CTE programs to that list (the council referenced the Alabama Committee on Credentialing and Career Pathways). - Expanding apprenticeships and work‑based learning and coordinating with the Alabama Office of Apprenticeships. - Requiring, via administrative rule, that high-school graduates earn at least one college- or career-readiness indicator (the council asked the Board to petition for a code change to allow an indicator to qualify for graduation). - Reducing chronic absenteeism and encouraging local accountability to improve attendance and workplace readiness.
Why this matters: Presenters said industry shortages are costing Alabama jobs and investment and urged the board to use its convening role to align credentials, expand CTE and increase apprenticeship pathways.
Board response Board members and staff said they would work with the council and with state workforce and education agencies on data alignment, career-technical education access and dual-enrollment reporting. The department said it is compiling data on where dual-enrollment and career-technical programs currently operate and will provide LEA-level program inventories and gaps.
Ending Industry members offered their expertise and asked to remain engaged; several board members said they would press legislators if statutory or budget changes were required to implement the council’s recommendations.
