Strengthening economic opportunity for women is critical for the future success of our state.
In an effort to address the predicted shortage of 500,000 skilled workers by 2025, Alabama is rethinking state and local workforce development systems with the objective of creating a more integrated and cohesive system. The ongoing reorganization of the state’s workforce system presents state leaders, industry, educational institutions, and nonprofits with an opportunity to fill Alabama’s labor gaps by focusing on an untapped resource: women. This requires thinking differently about how to find and support talent by addressing and investing in the unique needs of targeted populations, like women. Investing in families is investing in the economy.
Clearing the Path: Building a Sustainable and Inclusive Workforce, a report by The Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham and based on research by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) examines the question of how the state’s workforce development system serves women and their families and provides recommendations for building a workforce development system that truly works for women.
In an effort to address the predicted shortage of 500,000 skilled workers by 2025, Alabama is rethinking state and local workforce development systems with the objective of creating a more integrated and cohesive system.1 The ongoing reorganization of the state’s workforce system presents state leaders, industry, educational institutions, and nonprofits with an opportunity to fill Alabama’s labor gaps by focusing on an untapped resource: women. This requires thinking differently about how to find and support talent by addressing and investing in the unique needs of targeted populations, like women. Investing in families is investing in the economy.
Clearing the Path: Building a Sustainable and Inclusive Workforce, a report by The Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham and based on research by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) examines the question of how the state’s workforce development system serves women and their families and provides recommendations for building a workforce development system that truly works for women.
Key Findings
- Women in Alabama are well-represented in workforce development programs, yet remain under-represented in the labor force. Compared to men, Alabama women are employed at lower rates, more likely to be under-employed, and earn lower incomes. Women are also more likely than men to hold multiple jobs to make ends meet.
- Raising Alabama’s labor participation rate to the national average could add an estimated 80,941 women to the workforce.
Alabama has the 6th highest poverty rate in the United States, and women are among the most likely to experience poverty. Even in seemingly well-designed workforce development systems, women face additional barriers. This means a functioning and seamless workforce system is crucial for thriving families and a thriving economy. Meeting Alabama’s workforce attainment goals will require community leaders to intentionally engage with the workforce development system and advocate for targeted public policy solutions. Women must be a targeted part of the solution to Alabama’s workforce challenges. A workforce development system that works for women works for Alabama.
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