In Tuscaloosa County, high school students are getting a head start toward entering the manufacturing workforce.
They are getting that head start through the Modern Manufacturing Center of Excellence, a program that is giving high school students the hands-on, technical training needed for well-paid jobs with original equipment manufacturers — OEMs — when they graduate.
The center also offers a dual enrollment program in which teens can simultaneously earn high school and college credits toward an education and eventually a career in advanced manufacturing.
West Alabama Works, The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama’s workforce development division, is contracted to operate the Modern Manufacturing Center in schools across Alabama.
“We have over 40 school systems engaged in the training, and we have over 3,800 students that are in Modern Manufacturing across the state of Alabama,” says Donny Jones, executive vice president and chief workforce officer for The Chamber and executive director of West AlabamaWorks.
Jones says that in Tuscaloosa County, some 700 high schoolers are enrolled in the Modern Manufacturing program. “Hillcrest High School has over 150 students in Modern Manufacturing at that one high school,” he says.
Jones says students who graduate from the program earn multiple certifications such as a Certified Logistics Associate certificate earned by individuals with the skills needed to work in supply chain and logistics jobs.
Most high schools around the country with manufacturing programs focus on 5% of the industry’s needs, such as industrial maintenance and welding, Jones says. “Modern Manufacturing is focused on the largest needs of manufacturing in our state, which is production and assembly,” Jones says.
“We train them on lean manufacturing, safety protocols, soft skills, essential skills, precision measurement, all of those things, so that when they come out, they’ll be a five-star recruit for these industries,” he says.
This fall, high schools participating in the Modern Manufacturing program are getting new tools and precision measurement equipment as well as a high-end simulator, which they will use to learn to operate a forklift in a virtual warehouse, Jones says.
Students in Tuscaloosa in the program can also take part in an automotive apprenticeship at the Mercedes-Benz U.S. International assembly plant in Vance.
“We have students that leave their high schools in the afternoon to work at Mercedes-Benz and build a world-class vehicle. So, it’s important to know that this is a real partnership between our manufacturers in West Alabama and our students in our schools,” Jones says.
“We’re excited because we’re getting a lot of people across the country who fly in to say, ‘How are you doing this?’ It’s a best practice for workforce organizations across the country,” Jones says.
Besides managing the Modern Manufacturing program, West AlabamaWorks offers job fairs and events called “Worlds of Work” throughout the year. At Worlds of Work, companies give high school students a glimpse into the high-demand career opportunities available in the area through hands-on demonstrations and more. Some recruiters even hire at the events.
A Worlds of Work event is scheduled for Oct. 8th and 9th at Shelton State Community College and will be open to the public.
Meanwhile, Tuscaloosa County is nearing the end of several projects funded through the American Rescue Plan Act, the federal COVID-19 stimulus package, Probate Judge and Tuscaloosa County Commission Chair Rob Robertson says.
“We had over 80 projects that were started, and most of them are nearing completion from those funds,” Robertson says.
One of those ARPA-funded projects is the new Synergic Center in Northport.
In April of this year, Tuscaloosa County opened the Center, a building that once housed a call center. The renovated 47,000-square-foot building now houses the Law Enforcement Academy, and it contains space for collaboration between agencies.
In June, the city of Tuscaloosa broke ground for the construction of a new $1.1 million police logistics building at 3311 Reese Phifer Avenue. The 7,600-square-foot building will contain six bays for emergency response purposes.
And the city of Tuscaloosa continues to fund local projects through its Elevate Tuscaloosa initiative.
Last December, the city opened the new Benjamin Barnes YMCA, which offers programs in sports, camping and outdoor enrichment, arts and humanities, as well as before-school, after-school and early-learning programs.
The Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority is working to bring more business to the area with a new $296,000 grant through Alabama’s Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy program or SEEDS. The grant will pay for environmental studies, geotechnical analysis and infrastructure planning near the Tuscaloosa National Airport, and for the nearby industrial park to help make the area more competitive for high-impact economic development projects.
The county is also juggling several road projects, including the McWright’s Ferry Road project in Tuscaloosa that is nearly complete — a $69.9 million project.
“That project is somewhat transformative within the city of Tuscaloosa,” says Robertson. “There was traffic congestion, and really, only one viable path to get to a pretty good sector of land in that area.” He says that once completed, the new roadway will cut down commute times, allow the city to grow northward and help ease traffic congestion in the area.
“It’s a city of Tuscaloosa project, but it’s funded and paid for by the Tuscaloosa County Road Improvement Commission,” Robertson says.
The city of Tuscaloosa gave final approval recently for a 19-acre, $150 million Sports Illustrated resort near the University of Alabama campus. The resort will feature condominiums and other amenities.
The city also recently won recognition for its work to support low-income housing — the Audrey Nelson Community Development Award for 2024 from the National Community Development Association for its efforts to develop affordable housing at Springer Estates in West Tuscaloosa. The award recognizes communities for innovative, new community development projects.
The city’s Elevate Tuscaloosa initiative is advancing education and investing in city parks, local cultural and arts programs and other projects. This fall, the city expanded its Elevate Dual Enrollment Scholarship program to give high school students access to more free college coursework.
So now, eligible Tuscaloosa City Schools high school students can take up to nine courses — the equivalent of a full year of college — through the University of Alabama’s Early College program, for free, including tuition, fees and textbooks.
Under the old plan, the scholarship covered one course per semester, up to 12 credit hours.
Tuscaloosa is also improving its parks. Springbrook Park reopened this spring following a $1.7 million makeover. The park amenities now include a walking track, two playgrounds and emergency blue lights.
As part of Elevate Tuscaloosa, the city broke ground on a pickleball complex in Bowers Park this spring. The city will spend more than $3 million to build 19 new pickleball courts, a new outdoor restroom and more lighting and security.
Elevate Tuscaloosa is also building eight new pickleball courts in the Northridge community. The project, at a cost of $1.37 million, will include a parking lot and sidewalk to the courts and more lighting. The new courts will be near the Buddy Powell Pavilion and Northridge High School.
This article appears in the September 2025 issue of Business Alabama.
