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Educator Workforce Academy

The Educator Workforce Academy is a year-long training program for educators in West Alabama, exposing them to workforce development and our region’s industries. Established in 2017 by West Alabama Works, the Academy is designed to eliminate the disconnection between industry and education, giving our region’s students the best chance possible for success.

 

 

"The Academy allows us to get experience in business and industry so we’re more in-tune with what our students need when they graduate."

- Dr. Mike Daria Superintendent, Tuscaloosa City Schools

 
 
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"West Alabama has many competitive industry careers, but before the Educator Workforce Academy, most of our region’s educators hadn’t toured a plant. The Educator Workforce Academy helps connect our educators to jobs for our region’s students. Some of these jobs require four-year degrees, while many require a two-year degree or on-the-job training. Regardless, we’re eliminating the disconnect between industry and education."

- Donny Jones COO, Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, Executive Director, West AlabamaWorks!

Educator Success Stories

  • "One of the great things that the Educator Workforce Academy has done is allowing us, the educators, to go out and see what job opportunities are readily available in our communities so that people can actually go to work for a local company. This shows us, the educators, that this is what we need to be doing to give business and industry the opportunity they need by providing the type of workforce with the right skills, which provides our citizens good jobs and advancement opportunities to further develop the workforce in our community."

    Shawn McDaniel

    Principal

    Pickens County College and Career Center

  • "West AlabamaWorks has had a tremendous impact on the education system in our region but on Tuscaloosa City Schools in particular. West AlabamaWorks has helped Tuscaloosa City Schools in facilitating the pipeline for students to either receive training at Shelton State Community College or move directly into the workforce."

    Kelly S. Norstrom

    Director of Career and Technical Education

    Tuscaloosa City Schools