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West Alabama Works, the regional arm of the state’s workforce development program, is continuing its community outreach tour over the coming days, bringing job seeker and training services to Hale, Marengo and Tuscaloosa counties between Oct. 14-16.

West Alabama Works serves nine counties, but has been focused on the Black Belt over the past several weeks, which the group noted is “one of the most underemployed and impoverished areas of Alabama,” with an unemployment rate higher than the state average, 9.2 percent regionally versus 7.9 percent statewide.

“After kicking off the tour in Greene and Sumter counties last week, we’re excited to bring services to more parts of West Alabama,” said Black Belt Workforce Center Coordinator Tammi Holley in a press release.

West Alabama Works will continue to strictly observe all coronavirus precautions during the upcoming events, all of which will be hosted outside and require face masks to be work and social distancing guidelines to be followed.

The organization’s mobile workforce units will be on site to assist attendees in applying for jobs or training opportunities and West Alabama Works’ outreach team will help attendees enter Career Connect, the group’s “state-of-the-art job application portal.”

The portal is designed to connect job applicants with in-demand careers in the area and works with more than 16 competitive employers in some of the state’s premiere workforce sectors, including the automotive, manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality and construction industries.

“Completing a Career Connect profile is truly the start to a great career in our region,” said West Alabama Works Outreach and Program Manager Lauren Collier. “We’re already seeing the effects of Career Connect for last week’s outreach event attendees. I can’t wait to continue sharing these free, helpful resources with West Alabama.”

The West Alabama Works events, all of which will take place from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. started off Wednesday, Oct. 14, with a stop at First United Methodist Church in Greensboro.

On Thursday, Oct. 15, the mobile unit will post up at the Black Belt Workforce Center in Demopolis and on Friday, Oct. 16, the team will set up shop at the Tuscaloosa Career Center in Tuscaloosa.

For more information, visit www.westalabamaworks.com.