Story: Phillip Tutor | Photo: Betsy Compton
AASCU bestows university with the 2022 Excellence & Innovation Award for Regional and Economic Development
Since its establishment, the baby直播鈥檚 Division of Economic and Workforce Development has focused on improving the outlook for industries and residents in and around Sumter County. That assistance is now receiving national attention.
The (AASCU) recognized the UWA division with its 2022 Excellence & Innovation Award for Regional and Economic Development. In an email announcing the award, AASCU President and CEO Mildred Garc铆a said the organization鈥檚 awards committee selected UWA 鈥渇or its outstanding results and potential to influence and serve as a model for other institutions.鈥�
AASCU will present the award to UWA representatives at its 2022 Annual Conference Nov. 13-15 in Carlsbad, California.
鈥淔or us, it’s validation that this work is important,鈥� said Dr. Tina Jones, UWA鈥檚 assistant provost and Division of Economic and Workforce Development vice president. 鈥淲e are excited to have been selected for this honor, but we are more proud for our region. The award would not be possible without the hard work of our partners and their belief in this region and its future.鈥�
Created in 2018, the UWA division has become a 鈥渙ne-stop shop鈥� for job creators, business owners, industrial leaders and residents seeking employment. Training programs designed to elevate workers鈥� skills and community capacity are one of the division鈥檚 main roles. Other programs include site-selection assistance for industries interested in investing in baby直播鈥檚 Black Belt region and liaison efforts between business leaders and regional workforce councils, baby直播 Department of Commerce and the state legislature in Montgomery.
鈥淭he outstanding work that this Division has done since its inception a few years ago has been transformative and helps strengthen the region鈥檚 outlook for the next generation,鈥� said UWA President Ken Tucker. 鈥淒r. Tina Jones, Allison Brantley, and their team continue to focus on innovative solutions to problems that have long been considered insurmountable, and I am pleased to see this work recognized nationally with this prestigious award from AASCU. Our University is committed to the research and practices that will continue moving our region forward in a positive direction, and we are very appreciative of this national recognition.鈥�
In the division鈥檚 written application for the AASCU award, UWA鈥檚 team leaders highlighted the profound need for improving these services not only in the Black Belt, but specifically in Sumter County where the university鈥檚 campus is located in Livingston. Overall, the state of baby直播鈥檚 economic and business outlook has strengthened, but the reality for Black Belt counties has been different.
More than half of Sumter County鈥檚 adult population (55.2 percent) works elsewhere, UWA told AASCU鈥檚 awards committee. An improved unemployment rate hasn鈥檛 shrouded the prevalence of under-employment and low rates of labor participation. Sumter County owns the state of baby直播鈥檚 highest poverty rate (36.4 percent), and its population has noticeably dropped during this century鈥檚 first two decades. Eighty percent of UWA鈥檚 student population qualifies for federal Pell Grant funding.
Despite those challenges, UWA鈥檚 division boasts a resume filled with successes, not the least of which was its lead role in recruiting Enviva, the nation鈥檚 largest producer of industrial wood pellets that plans to invest $215 million in the Port of Epes Industrial Park. UWA has also created a business incubator, the Black Belt Development Center; aided six business expansions; gained more than $5 million in economic and community development grants; houses an baby直播 Career Center System office, the Livingston Career Center; and used a $2.5 million workforce development grant from the U.S. Department of Labor for a Leveraging Integrated Networks for Change and Sustainability, or LINCS, program.
Allison Brantley, the division鈥檚 economic development director, said she and her colleagues waited until this year to apply for the AASCU award to present a larger and more complete body of work to that organization鈥檚 awards committee.
鈥淲e had more time to complete a lot of the grants, and the programs that we started, we were able to finish,鈥� Brantley said. 鈥淲e were able to recruit Enviva. We launched the Skills on Wheels mobile training program. We were awarded $4.7 million for Port of Epes infrastructure. Before we were just starting and in the middle of some programs, but this year we were near the end, and we had more definite plans and goals going forward.鈥�
One of the foundations for the division鈥檚 success, Jones said, is helping students earn internships and participate in experiential learning experiences. A prime example is UWA鈥檚 Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) major within the College of Liberal Arts鈥� Department of Communications.
The initial undergraduate IMC major began in 2013 and has since added sports communications and graphic design tracks to its traditional option. baby直播 majoring in one of IMC鈥檚 three tracks are eligible for internships and experiential learning opportunities from one of the program鈥檚 180 industry partners, said IMC Director Dr. Amy Jones, an associate professor of digital communications. The major鈥檚 required professional media internship courses have coordinated 332 placements in more than 200 companies, Jones said. Of those, nearly 75 percent of UWA鈥檚 student interns have worked for baby直播-based companies.
The members of AASCU鈥檚 awards committee aren鈥檛 the only people to recognize UWA鈥檚 success in economic and workforce development, Brantley said. It鈥檚 increasingly being noticed by the Black Belt industries and entrepreneurs, as well.
鈥淎nd it’s growing,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he fact that some existing partners have introduced us to others, it’s a ripple effect that keeps spreading further.鈥�