Inside a converted courtroom on the second floor of Prichard’s former City Hall, two dozen residents gathered recently to practice teamwork exercises as part of the city’s new Workforce Development Program, an effort aimed at connecting Prichard residents with real career opportunities rather than short-term jobs.
The program, created through a partnership between the Prichard City Council, Bishop State Community College, the Mayor’s Office and shipbuilder Austal USA, is designed to prepare participants for skilled trades. Organizers said the first class of roughly two dozen students, ranging in age from 18 to 31, represents the initial wave of what they hope becomes an ongoing pipeline into the local workforce.
Participants described a mix of motivations for joining, from wanting more stable income to seeking a genuine career rather than another entry-level job. One young mother of three said she left a position at a local hospital’s janitorial staff after being selected by Austal to compete for an apprenticeship, describing welding and pipefitting as fields she’d long been drawn to.
Roughly 80 people applied for the program’s first round, and Austal selected 29 to begin Ready to Work training in Prichard. After four weeks, organizers expect 12 to 15 of those participants to move on to a pipefitting boot camp at Bishop State before the strongest performers advance into formal apprenticeships with the shipbuilder.
City officials point to stark numbers behind the initiative. Among Alabama cities with populations over 25,000, Prichard has posted one of the highest unemployment rates in the state, trailing only Selma. Local organizers say the rate is several points higher than both the statewide average and neighboring Mobile’s rate.
An administrative assistant to the City Council who helped organize the program said the broader goal is to keep young residents from leaving Prichard to find opportunity elsewhere, noting that a lack of local jobs has long pushed people to commute or relocate for work.
The program received a boost from a Daphne-based technology firm, which donated computers to outfit the training space, with the city covering only the cost of electrical upgrades needed to power the equipment.
Organizers say the program will run at no cost to participants, with plans to begin a new class in March. Officials are also working to bring in additional area employers to expand job placements once students complete their training.