ASU gets $60K grant to start workforce development pilot program

Hadley Hitson, Montgomery Advertiser
·2 min read

Alabama State University announced last week that it received a $60,000 grant to establish a pilot program preparing workers with low levels of education and low levels of skills to enter or reenter the workforce.

The new university program will partner with businesses across the region to provide employment opportunities to the students it educates. In doing so, ASU vice president Tanjula Petty said the hope is to demonstrate the value of a traditional college degree and promote student retention at ASU while also improving the competency of skilled workers.

Petty specifically serves as the vice president for institutional effectiveness, strategic initiatives and transformation at the university.

"Low-skilled workers are much more likely to be unemployed and living in poverty than more skilled workers. ASU will pilot this program to encourage students and members of the community at-large to demonstrate their competency in skills that are needed in today’s workforce," Petty said in a statement.

ASU community members gather in front of Jo Ann Robinson Hall on campus.
ASU community members gather in front of Jo Ann Robinson Hall on campus.

The grant comes from the Truist Foundation, Truist Bank’s philanthropic arm.

"We make strategic investments in non-profit organizations to help ensure the communities we serve have more opportunities for a better quality of life," Truist Foundation grants director Nicole Royster said in a statement. "Our grants and activities focus on building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses, and Alabama State University aligns with our mission. We thank the university for allowing us to participate in this project with it so we may inspire and build better lives."

ASU specifically said the grant will go toward supporting the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act, a federal law that replaced the Workforce Investment Act in 2014 to strengthen the U.S. workforce.

ASU has not yet released more details about the pilot program or when it will begin, but a university release said the program will be part of ASU’s commitment “to inspire and build better lives and communities.”

Hadley Hitson covers children's health, education and welfare for the Montgomery Advertiser. She can be reached at hhitson@gannett.com. To support her work, subscribe to the Advertiser.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Truist Foundation grants Alabama State University $60K for new program