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Alabama Gov. Kay is on pace to reach a goal of adding 500,000 credentialed workers to the state’s workforce by 2025, according to the Alabama Workforce Council’s (AWC) annual report.

AWC Chairman Tim McCartney and Vice Chair Sandra Koblas noted in a letter accompanying the report that efforts are ongoing to prepare Alabama workers for a post-pandemic job market.

“Many of Alabama’s industries have proven resilient during the pandemic and the Alabama Workforce Council (AWC) will continue to collaborate with our education and workforce stakeholders to align the education and training programs that will prepare Alabamians for the post-COVID-19 labor market,’’ the letter states.

To help reach the goal of adding credentialed workers, the AWC will launch two new workforce development tools this year: ACCET, the Alabama College and Career Exploration Tool, and ATLAS, the Alabama Terminal on Linking and Analyzing Statistics on Career Pathways. The report details much of the foundational work for these tools that occurred last year.

ACCET will allow job seekers to create a verified, digital resume that displays industry-recognized credentials and progress against established competency models. Information will signal to employers that a worker or student possesses the requisite skills for either an entry-level job or progressive wage increases as a result of mastering new competencies.

The ATLAS on Career Pathways will serve as an integrated workforce and education database that will provide the data needed to identify in-demand careers and credentials. This information will be used to regularly adjust Alabama’s workforce and economic development programs to meet the needs of Alabama’s economy.

“Alabama is a national leader in workforce development,” Ivey said. “We will continue to provide innovative educational and training opportunities to help Alabamians enter in-demand career pathways for every stage of life.”