The Department of Commerce administers a variety of programs and grants to help enhance Alabama’s workforce and provide assistance to workers. These initiatives are set in place to improve the quality of job training and marketability of Alabama’s workforce for the economic growth of the state.
Rapid Response Unit
The Rapid Response Unit provides on-site assistance to workers when plants announce layoffs or closures. When plants close or substantial layoffs are implemented, the Rapid Response Unit swiftly reacts and meets on-site with employers and employees affected by job losses. At the employee group meetings, workers receive information about unemployment compensation, pension benefits, job training, employment services, health insurance, credit counseling, and many other services.
The Unit serves as the State Dislocated Worker Unit for Alabama and receives notices of plant closures and layoffs sent via the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN.) The U.S. Department of Labor provides a guide to this act on their website.
The unit can help businesses manage multiple priorities during a layoff or closing situation. The sooner that workers start to manage the transition, the better the outcome for themselves and the employer.
WARN List
The Department of Commerce’s Workforce Development Division has no administrative or enforcement authority under the Warn Act, and therefore does not provide legal advice or interpretations relative to specific provisions of the act as they may apply to a specific dislocation events (i.e. Plant/Facility Closing/Layoff). Questions relative to employer/employee relationships (including oral or written employment contracts or agreements), and/or interpretation of provisions of the WARN Act as they may apply to circumstances relating to specific layoff actions should be addressed by legal professionals.
The Alabama WARN list identifies dislocation events (plants closures and layoffs) reported to ADECA under requirements of the WARN Act and those events where Rapid Response Team assistance has been activated.
Alabama Career Centers
Employers work with local Career Centers to locate employees with specific skills, and the goal is to consolidate the delivery of services at a single location. Many Career Centers are electronically linked with other partner agencies, such as the Alabama Department of Commerce, Department of Human Resources, Department of Rehabilitation Services, Community College System, and others.
Job information and local Career Center locations can be found on the AlabamaWorks! website.
