The Alabama Department of Labor officially became the Department of Workforce on Feb. 1 as it focuses its efforts on increasing Alabama’s labor force participation rate, Gov. Kay Ivey announced.

After serving during the transition period, Secretary of Labor Marty Redden is retiring, leading the way for Alabama Senate veteran Greg Reed to become the state’s first secretary of workforce.

“We are attracting significant business investments and new jobs, and we are helping our existing companies grow, and it is imperative we prepare our workforce,” Ivey said. “I am grateful for the good work Marty has done to begin this new chapter of workforce development in Alabama. I am excited for Greg to now take the helm and get to work.”

Greg Reed, Alabama’s new secretary of workforce. (contributed)

Ivey last year signed into law the Alabama Workforce Transformation Act to streamline the state’s workforce development efforts. She appointed Redden to lead the initial transition phase, and she appointed Reed as senior adviser to workforce transformation at the start of this year. As secretary of workforce, Reed will continue the full implementation, which will be completed during the summer.

“I am immensely honored to be the first secretary of workforce for the state of Alabama, and I am incredibly thankful to Gov. Ivey that she has entrusted me to carry out her vision to tackle this all-important task,” Reed said. “Today is the first step in our mandate to make Alabama’s economy all that she can be, and workforce will be at the forefront of that mission. It is my commitment that this new agency will do all that it can to ensure Alabama workers are the best-trained and most highly skilled in America.

“It will be my focus to champion Gov. Ivey’s goals by collaborating with the business community, the education community, the manufacturing and industrial community, the Alabama Legislature and our federal delegation to coordinate our efforts and achieve the best outcomes for the people of Alabama. I could not be more excited about this new and important initiative.”

During his tenure in the Alabama Senate, Reed sponsored numerous pieces of legislation with a focus on workforce transformation and economic development.

He served as the sponsor for the Alabama Incentives Modernization (AIM) Act in 2019, which updated Alabama’s incentives to recruit businesses to rural counties, take advantage of federal opportunity zones and attract technology companies to Alabama. Additionally, in 2023 as part of The Game Plan, Reed was vital to renewing the Growing Alabama Act and the Alabama Jobs Act. In 2024, Reed served as the legislative leader in the Working for Alabama bill package and was the sponsor for the Alabama Growth Alliance Act. The Alabama Growth Alliance will serve as the state’s preeminent advisory council for long-term economic and workforce development plans.

In addition to helping ensure Alabama achieves maximum rates of employment, the Alabama Department of Workforce will fulfill traditional department responsibilities, including workplace safety and child labor enforcement, unemployment and workers’ compensation, labor market information and inspections.