SGA - Southern Governors' Association > AL Gov. Riley Announces Funding for Workforce Training

AL Gov. Riley Announces Funding for Workforce Training


Press Release July 28, 2010 Economic Development MONTGOMERY -- More than $158,000 is going to help seven existing Alabama companies upgrade the skills of their employees so the companies remain competitive and avert potential layoffs, said Governor Bob Riley. The grants from the state’s Incumbent Worker Training Program will be used by the companies to upgrade employees’ skills in areas such as safe operations management, supply chain management and lean manufacturing processes. “When we recruit a new industry to locate in Alabama, it’s great news and gets lots of attention. But we always need to remember that our existing businesses are the backbone of our economy. By helping them with workforce training, we make them more competitive and more successful, and that makes our economy stronger,” said Governor Riley. The seven companies that applied for and are receiving the training grants are: • BAE Systems, Inc. in Cordova • Dal-Tile in Fayette • Keystone Foods in Gadsden • Machine Technology, Inc. in Huntsville • Mobile Stevedoring/Mobile Refrigeration in Mobile • Pettey Machine Works in Trinity • Systems Products and Solutions in Huntsville A total of 202 employees at the seven companies will receive training. The Incumbent Worker Training Program (IWTP), which is funded by the federal Workforce Investment Act and state allocations, provides customized training for employees in existing businesses to help them avert layoffs and remain competitive. The maximum grant amount a company can apply for is $30,000. “Technological changes and expanding globalization have resulted in new ways of doing business,” explained Dr. Matthew Hughes, who serves as director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development and the Workforce Development Division of the Department of Postsecondary Education. “Many of our employers are having a tough time in this economic climate keeping pace with these changes. Through the IWTP, however, we can offer solutions.” ### Southern Governors’ Association (SGA), founded in 1934, is the oldest and historically the largest of the regional governors' associations. SGA uses the power of connection, collaboration and communications in a bipartisan manner to solve regional problems, improve quality of life and secure an economically vibrant and prosperous American South.

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