Schools
New Innovation Center Includes Training At Jefferson State Community College
All graduates of this pilot training project were matched with jobs and 100 percent of students were hired upon completion of the training.
February 16, 2022
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In-demand food services industry training at Jefferson State is among the first programs launched as part of the Alabama Community College System’s Innovation Center, which was announced at a kick-off event on Monday, Feb. 14 at Barber Motorsports Park.
The Innovation Center is a $10 million investment aimed at rapidly training workers for the state’s highest-demand industries, and has launched its first of several industry-designed programs to help students find immediate employment.
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ACCS leaders, students and industry partners kicked off the Innovation Center’s opening and demonstrated some of the training at an event on Feb. 14. The training includes short-term classes that students can start from anywhere in the state and finish with an in-person lab in a regional ACCS location. Once students complete the trainings, they are job-ready and are awarded a credential and an opportunity to earn more certifications at their local community college.
“Every Alabamian deserves an opportunity to succeed in the state’s economy. It’s not always that someone needs two years at the community college to make them have the skills viable for the labor market, so we have found a way to expedite the training so we can move people more rapidly into the market,” said Jimmy H. Baker, Chancellor of the Alabama Community College System. “The Innovation Center is where we house people to devote to the process of developing curriculum for training, no matter what it may be, so that residents can take those credentials and either get to work or get promoted with the right skills for their job.”
Business leaders say the rapid training is key as Alabama faces supply chain issues and the nation’s 11th largest worker shortage, according to a study.
The Innovation Center has already successfully collaborated with the Alabama Tourism Department to help workers train for and find jobs in the state’s $16 billion hospitality industry, thanks to a $1 million grant from Gov. Kay Ivey. All graduates of this pilot training project were matched with jobs and 100 percent of students were hired upon completion of the training.
The training at Jefferson State’s Culinary & Hospitality Institute, meanwhile, will ensure participants learn skills needed to work in the food industry, including customer service, conflict resolution, knife skills, purchasing procedures, kitchen safety, beverage service, and food storage.
Participants completing the course will be awarded the ACCS Credential from Jefferson State, indicating they are ready for work. The credential will also provide a discount in tuition or articulated credit at Jefferson State for future classes.
The ACCS also received funding from the Legislature to develop the Innovation Center and expand skills training and career technical programs that lead to nationally recognized short-term certifications in high-demand industries.
In addition to hospitality, the first in-demand industries targeted for Innovation Center rapid training include butchery, commercial drivers license (CDL), recreation, heavy equipment, plumbing and facilities maintenance.
For more information on upcoming trainings or for answers to frequently asked questions, visit innovation.accs.edu.
This press release was produced by the Jefferson State Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
