2008 Summit for Workforce Development a Tremendous Success
May 16th, 2008
The 2008 Summit for Workforce Development was a tremendous success. The summit brought together workforce, business, and education officials from across the Gulf Coast and the entire nation to find ways to handle the economic prosperity we are enjoying. The key word on everyone’s mind was “teamwork”.Mobile Mayor Sam Jones welcomed the more than 200 summit participants before breakfast speaker Bradley Byrne, Chancellor of the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education, gave a presentation. His focus was utilizing the underemployed and the unemployed to meet the workforce needs of our area.
Following a question and answer session with Chancellor Byrne, the group heard for the Business Panel, facilitated by Win Hallett, President of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce. The panel included: Thomas Woelker, ThyssenKrupp Steel and Stainless USA; Jeff O’Dell, Austal USA; Walter Meigs, Atlantic Marine; David L. Trent, Airbus North America Engineering Center; Ryan Ott, Associated Builders and Contractors; Eric Brewer, Mobile Homebuilders Association; Shane Aldridge, Mobile Area Hotel/Motel Association; Joseph Ng, Mobile Aerospace Engineering; David Fink, EADS North America; Betty Richards, Northrop Grumman; Carol Statter, Infirmary Health Services. Each panelist contributed a great deal to the discussion of worker training, retention, and development.
That was followed by the Education Panel, moderated by Sydney Raine, President of Mobile Works, Inc. The panel included Carolyn Akers, Mobile Area Education Foundation; Dr. Roy Nichols, Mobile County Public Schools; Dr. James Lowe, Bishop State Community College; Richard Hayes, University of South Alabama College of Education. The panelists discussed traditional and unconventional ways to enrich the education that our young people receive, and to find ways to keep kids motivated to complete their education.
A presentation from Tonya Lee, Statistical Supervisor from the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, came next. She broke down information on things such as how many workers commute into and from Mobile County.
The final presentation was from Dr. Helen Parker, Regional Administrator for Employment and Training Administration. She talked about things that the Department of Labor is doing for our region and across the country.
The keynote address was given by Brent Orrell, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training United States Department of Labor. He discussed ways that we can improve on workforce development ideas that are already in place and praised the progress that has been made along the Gulf Coast already.
The 2008 Summit for Workforce Development is sponsored by the City of Mobile, Mobile County, Mobile Works, Inc., Community Foundation of South Alabama, Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, Mobile Area Education Foundation, Mobile Area Association of Realtors, and Regions Bank.