WORKFORCE

  • Regional Population: 1,200,000*
  • Regional Labor Force: 590,000 including 60,000 in manufacturing*
  • Educational Pipeline: 120,000 with Bachelor’s Degree (or higher) and 15,000 Annual Graduates with Certificate or Associate’s Degree (or higher)
  • Strong Regional Industry Sectors include Automotive, Aerospace, Metalworking, and Food Processing
  • Competitive Wages Below National and State Average
  • Alabama is a Right-to-Work State. No Union-positive Elections in Etowah County in 15 Years.
  • * Within a 60-minute drive of the mega-site
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Local Education Centers

Etowah County Career Technical Center

All programs at the Etowah County Career Tech Center are business/industry certified by the Alabama State Department of Education or by private certifying agencies. The trade and industry programs have articulation agreements with all community colleges in Alabama, in which program completers may receive free college credit toward a degree for skills they learned in high school. Many program completers receive scholarships to colleges or technical institutes for continued training and are assisted in future job placement.

Programs at Etowah County Career Technical Center include Engineering Design, Electrical Technology, Electronics Technology, Automotive Technology, Precision Machining, Welding, Collision Repair, Construction Technology, Early Childhood Education, and Health Science.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Gadsden State Community College and other local, regional, and state workforce development partners offer excellent training programs to support our local industries including the new FAME apprenticeship program.
Laborshed Data

Gadsden City High School Tech Center

With a $2.4 million career-tech center on the main campus of Gadsden City High School, Gadsden is encouraging training and career skills from an early age. The classes are offered as electives and Gadsden City’s career training program boasts an estimated 90 percent positive placement for students who complete the program.

The high-tech modern center functions as both a learning and training facility, helping high school students graduate with highly-sought skills that can help them ensure a brighter Future. Many students choose to continue their skills training at Gadsden State Community College, where they can qualify for additional certification and increased salary possibilities. To learn more, visit our school and school board sites.

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Gadsden State Community College
Gadsden State Community College offers a Focused Industry Training Program leading to Certified Worker status, as well as Certificate and Associate Degree programs in more than 80 academic, vocational and technical fields. Programs include Automotive Manufacturing, Automotive Service Technology, Electrical Technology, Engineering Technology, Marketing Management, and many others. The campus is also home to the local centers for the University of Alabama, the Jacksonville State’s Gadsden Center, and Huntington College, which offer Bachelor’s and graduate degrees.
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Alabama Technology Network's Gadsden Center
The Alabama Technology Network Center, located on the Gadsden State campus, designs and conducts training programs to meet every student’s particular needs, and provides applied engineering assistance to local industries. It is the Southeast regional center of the National Institute for Metalworking Skills and was named one of the top advanced manufacturing technology centers in the nation.
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Jacksonville State University and JSU’s Gadsden Center
  • Applied Electronic Engineering
  • Applied Manufacturing Engineering
  • Environmental Biology
  • Business Administration
  • Marketing
  • Manufacturing Systems Technology

Jacksonville State University's Gadsden Center is on the Gadsden State Community College campus, providing advanced studies for Bachelor's, Masters and Doctorate degrees. Classes are offered in Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management and Marketing. The center also offers an MBA program.

All technology degree programs are accredited by The National Association of Technology Management and Applied Engineering.

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Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT) Institute
The Alabama Industrial Development Training Institute, which is often cited as the best state training program in the U.S., conducts pre-hire training programs. They are customized to specific needs and free of charge in order to ensure that our community has the skilled workforce that is ready for new challenges. AIDT is the only state training program to attain ISO 9000 registration, and the Gadsden Career Center works with AIDT to screen qualified applicants for companies looking to hire.

Regional Education Centers

(within 60 miles of the mega-site)
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Snead State Community College
  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Agricultural Business Economics
  • Business Education
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Fisheries Science
  • Industrial Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
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Northeast Alabama Community College
  • Agricultural Business and Economics
  • Business Education
  • Business Management and Supervision
  • Engineering Technician
  • Industrial Electronics/ Systems Engineering
  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Environmental Science
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Talladega College
  • Business Administration (Management)
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Birmingham Southern College
  • Business Administration
  • Engineering
  • Environmental Studies
  • Global and Comparative Studies (Coming Soon)
  • ROTC (aerospace)
  • Urban Environmental Studies
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University of Alabama in Birmingham
  • Air Force ROTC
  • Management/ Marketing
  • Business Administration
  • Mechanical Engineering
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Jefferson State Community College
  • Business Management
  • Manufacturing and Technology
  • Construction and Building Science Technology
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Wallace State Community College
  • Agriculture Production/ Horticulture
  • Automotive Service Technology
  • Aviation/ Flight Technology
  • Business Administration
  • Business Management and Supervision
  • Engineering Technology
  • Machine Tool Technology
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Lawson State Community College
  • Automotive Mechanics
  • Business Administration and Supervision
  • Automated Manufacturing
  • Industrial Maintenance and Electronics
  • Electrical Technology
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Samford University
  • Environmental Science
  • Management/ Marketing
  • Environmental Management
  • Business Administration