Tuscaloosa County Schools Receive Generous Donation from West Alabama Works

October 26, 2020

By WVUA 23 News Reporter Haley Wilson

West Alabama Works presented the Tuscaloosa County School System with a $389,440 check on Thursday. The new funding will be used for career technical education.

Career technical education is a cornerstone of career pathways, helping prepare the region’s workforce by offering state-of-the-art training in modern manufacturing, automotive technology, healthcare and hospitality for high school students.

This big donation was made possible by West Alabama Works Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization grants, awarded by the Appalachian Regional Commission.

Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama COO Donny Jones said that this opportunity will greatly benefit Tuscaloosa County’s students.

“A lot of people say donations, we say investments,” said Jones.

Over 90% of CTE students graduate from high school, which is 15% higher than the national average, according to the Association for Career and Technical Education.

“We’re really investing in the training in the workforce of tomorrow,” Jones said. “That’s what’s so important here.”