HUNTSVILLE – The Huntsville-Madison County Chamber is adding to its ASmartPlace.com
workforce campaign in an effort to put job seekers interested in starting a career in four targeted fields on a “fast track” that works for people who don’t have the time, opportunity or don’t desire to chase a four-year college degree.
The new section is Smart Careers and focuses on four industries: Advanced Manufacturing,
Information Technology, Construction and Healthcare.
“One of the key areas for us right now continues to be providing information in particular related to skilled and technical talent,’’ said Chamber Workforce Vice President Lyndsay Ferguson. “A lot of that talent is super critical to our employers’ success. Maybe it isn’t the initial work you think about when you think about the Rocket City.
“We talk a lot about our rocket scientists, but we also need rocket builders, if you will. That’s true across industries.”
The Chamber launched ASmartPlace more than 15 years ago, then, during the first quarter of 2022 crunched data that had been collected and rebranded and redesigned the site.
Now, Smart Careers has been added.
Ferguson said the newer campaign at ASmartPlace.com has drawn “really great feedback.”
“It’s a tool our employers can use as they may have folks who are considering relocation here,” she said. “It’s a great centralized hub for them. It’s also something that consolidates information for our site selectors and companies that look to come here as well.”
According to the Chamber, ASmartPlace encourages opportunities in industries that provide
long-term career pathways and require two years of education and training or less to get
started. The four fields have the following predicted growth in the next decade:
- Manufacturing: 275-plus total employers in the region, as well as 24% growth projected over the next 10 years.
- Information Technology: 450-plus total employers in the region, as well as 16% growth projected over the next 10 years.
- Construction: 900-plus total employers in the region, as well as 16% projected over the next 10 years.
- Healthcare: 1,600 total employers in the region, as well as 17% growth projected over the next 10 years.
The Chamber is partnering with Calhoun Community College, Drake State Community and
Technical College, AIDT, KTECH, North Alabama Homebuilding Academy and more to share
information.
“This was an opportunity for us to zero in and be able to show what an entry point can look like into jobs that can give a long term career pathway, and that these industries are willing to provide those career pathways in very well-paying, competitive roles that may not require that four-year degree,” Ferguson said. “We know that (four-year degrees are) important to our community, but also we know we have some individuals that need to go to work and go to school at the same time.”
Ferguson added that Smart Careers is also aimed at K-12 students who, while still in school, are looking for a faster track into a career position.
The new addition also shares real life experiences from local employees in each field, thanks to the help of Big Communications. Five videos show how an individual’s dreams became their current career realities. Created with futuristic animation, these videos set the stage for opportunities in the four industries – individual videos represent each industry and one summarized video includes the overall message.
For more information visit asmartplace.com/smart-careers/ and these for specific industries:
- amartplace.com/smart-careers/advanced-manufacturing/
- asmartplace.com/smart-careers/construction/
- asmartplace.com/smart-careers/information-technology/
- asmartplace.com/smart-careers/healthcare/.
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