"Alabama, We Have a Crisis"

Blake McAnally spoke on behalf of the Decatur City Schools Foundation at the Kiwanis Club meeting at the Decatur Country Club on May 18, 2017. McAnally’s main topic was workforce development, and he spoke concerning the lack of high school students graduating ready for college and career. In his speech, McAnally said that Alabama is behind the curve on workforce development.

“We have a crisis in Alabama,” McAnally says. “We don’t have enough students ready to graduate from high school and get right to work.”

In his speech, McAnally shared some shocking statistics.

In Alabama, 60% of all jobs require skills above high-school level, but below bachelor or associate degree levels, and we have only 47% of our workforce trained to take these jobs. That means that 200,000 jobs will go unfilled by 2030 because we do not have a trained workforce.

This problem creates what McAnally calls a “Readiness Gap.” Graduation rate goals have been exceeded, but college remediation has not reduced, so it reflects that students planning to attend college should be taking more rigorous, college preparatory courses.

In response to the problem, McAnally urged action.

“Unless we plug that gap as businessmen, investors, bankers, engineers, and corporate owners, we will not be able to compete with the nation as a workforce.”

McAnally encouraged Kiwanians that they could play vital roles in filling the gap. By encouraging their children to take harder high school classes, speaking to students about careers which may require a credential or a certificate instead of a college degree, funding resources for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) classes, funding professional development for teachers, individuals in the Decatur community can affect students for the better.

“Call a principal,” McAnally encouraged. “Get involved, volunteer your expertise in coaching classes, or tutor math students so you can make a difference in the future of our workforce.”

McAnally pegged it right on. Alabama may be in a workforce development crisis, but not one so bad that we can’t link elbows together and change for the better.