Go Build Alabama has unveiled a skilled trades e-textbook that uses interactive exercises for students and teachers to showcase technical careers in labor-hungry industries.
Inside the e-textbook, students will be able to use interactive widgets, tap pop-ups for more information, watch video interviews of men and women who work in the skilled trades, investigate career paths and locate training facilities in Alabama.
The e-textbook curriculum was accomplished in partnership with the Alabama Department of Education, with support from the Alabama Power Foundation. The curriculum highlights Alabama SUCCESS (Supporting Career Cluster Education for Students System) and was unveiled at the Alabama Career and Technical Education Professional Development Conference.
“Students today are growing up in a technology centered world, and it’s important to adapt educational materials to fit into their new learning habits, ” said Alabama Power Foundation President John Hudson. “It is our hope that this e-textbook will engage more students and bring more workers into the skilled trades, as they learn in a hands-on way about the opportunities in the industry.”
The e-textbook will be available as a free download in the Apple iBooks Store. It will be freely distributed to all seventh- to ninth-graders in Alabama beginning this upcoming school year.
“Students will find a roadmap for what they need to study, what kinds of hands-on, in-field training experiences are worthwhile and where to find them, and how much money they can expect to earn in a given job classification. This e-book is a must-read for anyone with an aptitude for working in the skilled trades, ” says Philip Cleveland, director of Career and Technical Education and Workforce Development for the Alabama Department of Education.
Go Build Alabama worked closely with the Alabama Department of Education’s Career and Technical Education Section to develop the e-textbook. The e-book was conceived and developed by Big Communications, a Birmingham-based advertising and public relations agency.
Text by Dave Helms
