The Governor’s Survey of Employer Competencies from AlabamaWorks! and the Alabama Workforce Council (AWC) is a vital component in adding 500,000 new highly skilled jobs in the state by 2025.

Business owners in each sector and region are being surveyed to assist the Alabama Committee on Credentialing and Career Pathways (ACCCP) with identifying current in-demand occupations and competencies, as well as credentials of value aligned to those occupations.

AlabamaWorks! and the AWC recognize that the majority of jobs lack specification regarding skills required to perform them and, as a result, a bachelor’s degree has become the default certification for most jobs that require postsecondary education. Identifying the skills, knowledge, abilities and attributes needed to succeed within in-demand jobs will prepare Alabama’s workforce for the future.

“This survey is vitally important as we continue in our ‘Strong Start, Strong Finish’ education and workforce initiative,” Gov. Kay Ivey said. “We remain committed to our post-secondary attainment goal of adding 500,000 highly skilled employees to the workforce by 2025, and this survey will help us clearly identify the in-demand careers and associated skills that will help us develop the necessary competency models needed to reach that goal and provide quality opportunities for Alabama’s citizens.”

The official survey is available here.

AlabamaWorks! and the Alabama Workforce Council are using a number of tools and strategies to add 500,000 skilled workers to the state by 2025. (Getty Images)

Employers of all sizes and from each industry sector are encouraged to respond to the survey, as responses are critical for the future Alabama workforce. Responses will be accepted through Friday, June 26 at 5 p.m.

The Governor’s Survey of Employer Competencies will be conducted annually to assist the ACCCP’s 16 Technical Advisory Committees with their work linking credentials of value to specific competencies and then sequencing competencies to build the DNA for a career.

“The AWC has consistently engaged in and supported efforts regarding credentialing,” AWC Chairman Tim McCartney said. “The future of workforce in Alabama will be highly impacted by these efforts to establish clear career pathways that are built upon the skills and knowledge shown to be in the most need and provide the highest value for employees and employers across the state.”

Ultimately, the specificity provided through the survey results will enable the unbundling of traditional degrees to make it easier for employers to create competency-based job descriptions. Employers will be able to use the survey information to list skills required for a job, rather than using associate or bachelor’s degrees as placeholders. Survey results will further verify that ACCCP work is accurate and aligned to business and industry priorities. Additionally, the results will drive draft-competency models to facilitate the important workforce shift.