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Tuscaloosa County, Alabama

The number and percentage of Alabama public high school seniors who are workforce-ready has continued to rise since the pandemic according to an analysis by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA). This passing percentage marks the highest number achieved since 2019. While the report indicates students are nearing the workforce readiness percentages prior to the pandemic, there was a sizable difference in the number of students who took the test in 2023 compared to 2019.

There’s a deep disconnect between local economic development efforts and the education system in Alabama. The state wants to add 500,000 high-skilled employees by 2025 to meet industry labor demands. To bridge the gap, one-fourth of Alabama counties are now using career readiness testing to connect labor to regional demand. Hundreds of employers are supporting the initiative, and more than 10,000 residents have earned the ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate®.

For Gabriel Owens and Peyton Lowery from Hillcrest High School in Alabama, Tuesday marked a different kind of signing day. They aren’t athletes declaring which college team they would play for; they are students signing to work for Mercedes-Benz U.S. International. Gabriel and Peyton were accepted into the program after achieving good