New class graduates from Educator Workforce Academy

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - Dozens of adults completed the West Alabama Works’ Educator Workforce Academy program, showing that Worlds of Work, or WOW, isn’t just about kids.

West Alabama Works successfully completed their eighth WOW event in Tuscaloosa. Part of that process includes helping motivate and train educators on how they can play a bigger role in helping students decide what could be a good career for them.

Donny Jones, President and CEO of West Alabama Works, said 65 teachers, principals, and or superintendents graduated from the Educator Workforce Academy from this past year.

Those people received certificates during a special ceremony at Shelton State Community College after they completed nearly a year’s worth of work and learned how they can help students choose a career pathway.

Educators, businesspeople, and elected leaders attended the ceremony, all in an effort together to get kids thinking about a career at a younger age.

“What we’ve seen is a transformation over the last four years of how are leaders in education addressing their staff and their schools and the role it plays in workforce development and career pathways,” Jones added.

Each participant had to create a workforce development plan for their school or school system to graduate.

“So basically, it helps us to identify those interests of students at an early age so we can give them the tools that they need to be successful,” according to Lenoise Richey, Principal Collins Riverside Intermediate School, who was also recognized for graduating from the Academy.

The Educator Workforce Academy has been around for four years with more than 400 people have successfully completed the program so far.

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