Event Details

Speaker: LeNa` Powe

She is the new Director of Workforce Development for West Alabama Works.  She's going to share about the program (detailed below) and explain how businesses can use them as a resource for hiring, training, grants, etc.

The Region 3 Workforce Development Council, in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, formed West Alabama Works to lead workforce development efforts throughout West Alabama. The regional workforce development system facilitates and implements a comprehensive, coordinated, seamless workforce development system for the region and supports workforce training activities. With a mission to promote economic prosperity throughout West Alabama by providing support services to business and industry and job seekers, West Alabama Works serves as the region’s central hub for workforce development efforts and training.

Through West Alabama Works, business and industry leaders have been able to create a workforce development system that supports all levels of development and serves to benefit both employers and job seekers. Five industry clusters have been developed to address the needs of individual industry sectors. Those five clusters are: automotive, health care, construction, manufacturing and professional and business services. Leaders of each sector work together to minimize duplication of services and maximize potential of each provider by communicating key workforce needs in the seven-county region through both urban and rural outreach programs.

LeNa` joined the Chamber staff in August 2014.  She leads all workforce development programs and initiatives of the Chamber, including providing administrative support to the Region 3 Workforce Development Council and West Alabama Works.  LeNa` works closely with local business and industry leaders, education officials and service providers to identify and proactively address current and future workforce needs.  She serves as a single point of contact for any public or private entity seeking information and assistance with workforce training in the seven-county west Alabama region. 

Prior to her current position, LeNa` managed community and workforce development initiatives in various roles with the Birmingham Business Alliance and the City of Birmingham.  She has undergraduate and graduate degrees from The University of Alabama, where she serves as an adjunct faculty member in the College of Communication and Information Sciences.