The Etowah County business community gathered on May 20, 2026, for the Etowah Update: Workforce Development Summit hosted by the Etowah Chamber at Gadsden State Community College’s Advanced Manufacturing Center. Sponsored by Gadsden State Community College, the summit brought together community leaders, elected officials, educators, and industry professionals for a candid discussion on the future of workforce development in Etowah County and the growing demand for skilled workers in manufacturing and technical careers.

The discussion was emceed by Andy Robertson, Dean of Workforce Development at Gadsden State Community College, and featured a panel of local industry and workforce leaders including Keri Wood, Work-Based Learning Manager at Gadsden State Community College; Jeff Lankford, Center Director for the Alabama Technology Network; Sherion Dowdy, Office Manager at Gadsden Tool, Inc.; Chris Smith, Maintenance Manager at Unipres; Lisa Morales, Community and Workforce Development Liaison at Gadsden State Community College; Sherry Corvaglia, Human Resources Manager at Prince Metal Stampings USA; and Andrew Ormiston, Tool Shop Manager at Prince Metal Stampings.

Throughout the summit, panelists emphasized that manufacturing careers in Alabama have evolved dramatically and now offer high-tech, stable, and high-paying opportunities that many students and parents may still misunderstand.

“One of my best right now, she’s a 24-year-old single mother of three, and she’s my best,” said Chris Smith of Unipres. “We’ve got to educate people that it’s not just a man’s world in maintenance and tooling.”

A recurring theme throughout the event was the urgent need for skilled trades workers, particularly tool makers and maintenance technicians, as Alabama’s automotive and manufacturing industries continue to expand. Panelists described the current labor market as highly competitive, with companies frequently recruiting experienced workers from one another due to the shortage of qualified talent.

“If they stick with it for three or four years and get good at it, the money’s there,” said Andrew Ormiston of Prince Metal Stamping while discussing the demand for skilled trades. “Once you have this opportunity, you don’t have to go hunt a job. You just decide where you’re going to work.”

Panelists also stressed the importance of changing perceptions around manufacturing careers, particularly among parents and younger students. Several speakers noted that exposure to skilled trades and hands-on careers should begin well before high school.

“If Etowah County really wants to flourish in manufacturing, it’s going to have to start earlier,” Ormiston said. “It starts in middle school. It starts educating parents in middle school.”

Sherry Corvaglia of Prince Metal Stampings USA discussed how promotional videos and facility tours can help break outdated stereotypes about manufacturing environments.

“It’s not the dark, dirty environment people think it is,” Corvaglia said. “You watch the robots move, you see the automation, and people realize this is actually pretty cool.”

Speakers highlighted the role that local partnerships between education and industry are already playing in workforce development efforts. Programs like FAME and COMET at Gadsden State Community College were repeatedly referenced as successful pathways that allow students to earn a degree while gaining real-world experience in the manufacturing sector.

Keri Wood explained that students in these programs graduate with both education and verified work experience already on their resumes.

“They’re going to work three days a week and go to school two days a week,” Wood said. “They graduate with experience, education, and a pathway into a high-wage, high-demand field.”

The panel also discussed the importance of retaining talent within Alabama and providing opportunities for students to build successful careers close to home. Lisa Morales referenced studies showing that internships and work-based learning opportunities significantly increase the likelihood that students will stay and work in Alabama after graduation.

The conversation also focused on the need for stronger collaboration between industry, schools, parents, and community organizations to reshape how manufacturing careers are viewed.

“We’ve got to get to where we’re looking at it as one big industry instead of a bunch of different companies,” Smith said. “We need to get it out to the families.”

Jeff Lankford of the Alabama Technology Network shared a story from his early career about how a steel mill in Utah demonstrated its economic impact on the community by paying employees in two-dollar bills, allowing local businesses to see firsthand how manufacturing wages supported the local economy.

“I really think people just need to understand the wages that can be made in manufacturing,” Lankford said. “You can do whatever you want to do in Etowah County.”

As the summit concluded, panelists were asked what they would tell a high school senior considering a career in manufacturing. The answers consistently focused on financial opportunity, local career growth, and the ability to build a successful future without accumulating significant college debt.

“Debt free,” Ormiston said. “That’s a big one.”

Philip Hall, President of the Etowah Chamber, closed the event by reinforcing the purpose behind the Workforce Development Summit and the Chamber’s continued commitment to workforce initiatives.

“We should go out to the community and talk about all the availability, high-paying jobs, and bright futures that can happen in Etowah County,” Hall said. “You don’t have to leave to be successful.”

The Etowah Chamber plans to continue hosting workforce-focused discussions and collaborative events aimed at strengthening the county’s workforce pipeline and connecting students, educators, and industry leaders across the region.

For more information about upcoming Etowah Chamber events, visit etowahchamber.org or contact the Chamber at 256-543-3472 or info@etowahchamber.org