Athens State University Online HR Management Degrees

The statewide goals of Alabama’s New Talent Triad Ecosystem are big and bold. They include: 1) adding 500,000 credentialed workers to Alabama’s workforce by 2025, 2) extending opportunities to populations with barriers to entering education and the workforce, and 3) accelerating COVID-19 pandemic recovery by supporting Alabamians who have been displaced by the pandemic with reentering the workforce.

In a state that has been surgically focused in the areas of competency-based career pathways, work-based learning, apprenticeships, credentials of value, and career lattices, Alabamians have been provided a foundation for economic upward mobility through skill enhancement that allow for career progression from entry-level to middle-skills position, to an advanced-level career through the mastery of an increasingly rigorous levels of competency. Furthermore, these gallant targeted outcomes center on 5 key policies that will create and deploy: 1) a statewide database to register all individual learning, 2) a statewide non-degree credit articulation index and credit transfer articulation crosswalk and articulation system, 3) recognition of all learning towards credits to credentials and careers, 4) clear pathways to credentials and careers, and 5) policies that provide support and remove barriers that exist between the creation of skilled labor and an employer job-ready workforce.

The Talent Triad’s continued momentum and success is dependent upon the avid synergies of advocates at all stages of the employment lifecycle; state, civic, and academic leaders, employers, job seekers, and the workforce development providers working collaboratively and in tandem to develop and deploy competency models and career pathways (by industry) supported through competency-based education, and skills-based hiring. These vertical and horizontal partnerships reflect a comprehensive and systemic approach to creating a job-ready workforce and create a win-win for employers and job seekers alike. The embedded technology solutions serve to operationalize Alabama’s competency-based education and skills-based hiring ecosystem, while the work of key stakeholders operationalize the important linkages for talent solutions.

Closing Remarks

The U.S. is at a crucial point where relevant and timely workforce solutions are needed. Current workforce needs continue to fall short and the future remain unpredictable. Therefore, it becomes especially critical that employing the right worker with the right skills be simple, fast and employer focused. At the same time, solutions have to adequately and sufficiently address not only current employment needs, but also concurrently create a more modernized workforce development system that can be a long-term stalwart driver of economic growth and competitiveness.

Dr. Kim LaFevor, DBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, IPMA-SCP, NDCCDP

Senior Executive to the President for Strategy & Innovation Athens State University

Mr. Tim McCartney

Chair of the Alabama Workforce Council

HR