Issue Position: Job Creation

Issue Position

Alabama currently has the lowest unemployment rate in state history and are running close to the point of having more jobs available than qualified workers who can fill them. Toyota/Mazda, Polaris, Remington, Hyundai, Honda, Airbus, Boeing. These are just a few of the dozens upon dozens of new and expanding industries that have chosen to locate in Alabama and provide jobs and opportunity to our citizens in recent years. It is no secret that Alabama continues to lead not only the southeast, but the entire nation, in economic development categories across the board, and the state's Department of Commerce could fill a room with all of the "Silver Shovel" awards and other industrial recruitment honors it has captured over the past few decades. But if we are going to continue our forward progress and provide even more jobs, hope, and security to Alabama's families, our attention must begin to focus upon ensuring our workforce is prepared to fill 21st Century jobs. Career tech in our K-12 system, as I noted in the response to your education reform question above, is certainly a firm foundation upon which we can build our economic future. Expanding and enriching workforce development opportunities is our community college system is another integral part.

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