Employment in Alabama's automotive sector has now reached over 40,000 jobs, surging from just a few thousand in the days before Mercedes. Around 25,000 of these jobs are in Alabama's growing automotive supplier network, which now counts over 160 companies. Growth in Alabama's automotive workforce isn't slowing down, either; it's projected to increase nearly 13 percent between 2014 and 2019, compared to a national increase of less than 1 percent.Training and workforce development are huge attractors for manufacturers to locate in Alabama. If this trend continues as statistics suggest, with the growth rate reaching near 13% over the next 3-4 years, what must our labor force be equipped with? How do we provide the adequate skill sets employers demand? What suggestions do you have for trade schools, universities, political figures, and communities at large? See links below.

https://www.alreporter.com/2021/01/29/alabama-expected-to-add-6000-more-auto-jobs-in-coming-months/(Links to an external site.)

www.madeinalabama.com/industries/industry/automotive/(Links to an external site.)

https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2021/05/14/hyundai-invest-7-billion-us-build-electric-cars-montgomery/5088638001/(Links to an external site.)