Skip to main content


Appalachian Regional Commission

          
CLOSE
        Appalachian Region
              Data Overview of the Appalachian Region
                      Appalachian States
                      Appalachian Counties Served by ARC
                      County Economic Status and Distressed Areas in Appalachia
                      Tribal Communities in the Appalachian Region
                      Congressional Districts in Appalachia
                      Local Development Districts in Appalachia
      Investment Priorities
              Building Businesses
                      Workforce Ecosystems
                              Addressing Substance Use Disorder
                      Community Infrastructure
                              Transportation in Appalachia
                      Regional Culture and Tourism
                      Community Leaders and Capacity
                              READY Appalachia
                      Investments in Action
      Grants and Opportunities
              About ARC Grants
                              Match Requirements for ARC Grants
                      Funding Opportunities
                              Area Development ProgramOpen
                                      ARISE InitiativeOpen
                                      INSPIRE Initiative
                                      POWER InitiativeOpen
                                      WORC InitiativeOpen
                      Capacity Building Opportunities
                              Academies and Institutes
                                      READY Appalachia
                      Additional Opportunities
                              Access to Capital Program
                                      Appalachian Regional Energy Hub Initiative
                                      J-1 Visa Waiver Program
                                      Local Access Road Program
                      Contract Opportunities
                      Applicant Resources
                      Grantee Resources
                      Approved ARC Projects
      Research and Data
              Research Reports
                      Evaluations
                      Maps
                      Data Report Tool
                      Fact Sheets and Infographics
      Academies and Institutes
              Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative
                      Appalachian Entrepreneurship Academy
                      Appalachian Leadership Institute
                      Appalachian STEM Academy
      About ARC
              History and Work
                      Structure and Leadership
                              ARC Offices & Staff
                                      State Partners
                                      Local Development Districts
                                      Office of Inspector General
                      Budget, Performance, and Policy
                      Newsroom
                      Careers at ARC
                      Internships at ARC
      SearchSearch
    Search

              Events
      Newsroom
      Get ARC Updates
      Inspector GeneralFacebook
      Twitter
      Youtube
      LinkedIn You are here
    HomeInvestments in ActionAlabama Community College System: The Ready to Work Program and Hornsby Steel, Inc.

      	
	
Alabama Community College System: The Ready to Work Program and Hornsby Steel, Inc.
	
			College and Career Readiness
          Training and OpportunitiesAlabamaInvestments in Action
	
				
	
	
	*This story is one of several “Stories of Change” highlighted in a new evaluation of ARC’s POWER Initiative.*

Alabama’s Ready to Work program, operated by the Alabama Community College System in cooperation with Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT), and with support from ARC’s POWER Initiative, provides career opportunities for individuals with limited education and employment experience by providing them with training needed to secure employment at no cost to participants.

To protect anonymity, we will call this individual A.D. Robbs. Robbs (45) is a father of six, two of which are in college, has a mortgage, and helps with the expenses and care of his aging mother. After working for almost 20 years with an asphalt company, taking multiple part-time jobs, and working overtime, Robbs was still not meeting the financial needs of his family. That’s when he decided to join the Ready to Work program at Shelton State Community College.

Robbs said the Ready to Work (RTW) program not only allowed him the opportunity to earn two certifications (Alabama Certified Workers Certificate and National Career Readiness Certificate), but the program taught him new skills and enhanced old skills. While he was impressed with all the RTW modules, the modules he enjoyed most were Communications, Technology Basics and FDIC (Personal Finance). Robbs said the Communications module refreshed his verbal and written communication skills, while the Technology Basics module gave him a better understanding of how to navigate the internet and Excel, and taught him how to develop PowerPoint Presentations.

“The Ready to Work [program] opened avenues for new employment opportunities. Now, I have a new career working in a manufacturing setting with much better benefits and more than twice the salary... This program has also inspired me to go back to school and finish my degree in Business Administration,” said Robbs. “After my wife saw how the RTW program helped elevate me to a better paying job, she decided to enroll in the program too. After she completed the program, she was able to secure a job working in manufacturing with a much higher pay [rate] and much better benefits.” Robbs has received a fulltime position at Phifer, Inc., which is a manufacturing company in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

To date, 2,614 workers/trainees have been served by Alabama’s RTW program, as well as 1,624 students. 1,139 jobs have also been retained or created as a result of this program. Thanks to the RTW program, 976 students have obtained new or enhanced positions as a result of this program, as well as 2,101 workers/trainees, including Robbs.

Alabama Community College System: Hornsby Steel, Inc23

System Hornsby Steel, Inc23 is a small company in Cleveland, Alabama that manufactures applications of cured steel. Through an ARC POWER Initiative grant, the Alabama Technology Network (ATN) began to offer the company an 8-hour blueprint reading class at no cost. During the training, participants identified types of drawings and learned what is included in different types of drawings; learned the standards for types of lines used in drawings; identified dimensions in drawings; and created drawings based on a solid object. The class had 16 employees for the blueprint reading class, meaning that over half the plant was in the training class. Two ATN project engineers provided the training and shared their stories to make the information more relatable. Some received a refresher on the body of knowledge of reading blueprints, and others gained a new perspective, enhancing their roles and responsibilities on the job. The class will help many of the participants retain their current positions, and will provide additional responsibilities within the company for some. For a total impact estimated at $4,400 for the small manufacturer in Cleveland, Alabama, the president/owner David Hornsby said it best, “The blueprint reading class was just priceless.” Appalachian Regional Commission

          About ARC Grants
      Grants and Opportunities
      Newsroom
      Contract Opportunities
      Contact ARC
      Careers

  Get ARC News and Updates
    
    
                
  Sign Up Here
    Web and Privacy Policy