Group from Montana visiting West Alabama for workforce innovation tour

By WVUA 23 News Reporter Gracie Johnson

What can Montana learn from Alabama? A lot, especially when it comes to workforce innovation, and that’s why a group from the Treasure State are visiting Tuscaloosa this week for the West Alabama Workforce Innovations Tour.

The group here this week is made up of Montana state legislators, educators, city leaders and government officials. Some of their stops for the event include the West Alabama Workforce Development Center, the Tuscaloosa Career and Technology Academy and Brookwood High School.

“I think a lot of times we’ve changed our culture in our country where we just want the immediate gratification, we want to play the games, we wanna sit home and watch TV,” said Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Shane Etzwiler. “Our goal is to really get the students in to businesses to start taking a look at career opportunities that they have before them so they can have a great life.”

Montana Rep. Wendy McKamey said their state can learn a lot from the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama’s success.

“The Chamber here is supposed to be the most proactive and they won an award for being a top Chamber,” said McKamey. “The top Chamber in the U.S. I believe, so why wouldn’t we want to go to the very top?”

The workforce tour concludes today after the group visits Brookwood High School and Brookwood career tech annex.