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TUSCALOOSA, AL | West AlabamaWorks is pleased to announce the launch of a virtual Worlds of Work platform that will provide much needed career exploration and education options to students in West Alabama. The West AlabamaWorks team decided to go virtual for this spring event to better serve the students who missed the opportunity to attend the in-person event traditionally held on the Shelton State Community College campus in the fall of 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns.

“While this year’s WOW event looks completely different, it still provides the opportunity for our students to explore all of the wonderful career options West Alabama has to offer,” said Donny Jones, COO of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama and Executive Director of West AlabamaWorks. “These students are our future workforce, and we want them to be excited about what their future looks like; hopefully, they will choose to stay in West Alabama and continue to enrich our region with their talent.”

The virtual platform launches on Monday, April 26th with schools in the 9-county region scheduled to participate until Friday, April 30th. The immersive game-like experience will feature 10 different “worlds” that highlight the major industry sectors in West Alabama: agriculture, construction, education, energy/utilities, engineering/environment, healthcare, hospitality/tourism, manufacturing/logistics, public safety, and transportation. More than 100 companies have provided interactive media for the platform so far, with Seed Creative, a local Tuscaloosa-based media company that has partnered with West Alabama Works, creating much of the content. These companies have taken their time and talent to invest in West Alabama students and the workforce of the future.

While this virtual event is a new piece of the workforce puzzle, it does not replace the traditional in-person event held on October 7th and 8th. This virtual platform, created in partnership with IDEAS Group, is an interactive, game-based exploration experience that will reach students wherever they are currently learning, whether in school or at home. “From now on, WOW is going to be part of a bigger process. It is not just about one event—it is going to be something that we use to change the lives of students in every grade,” says Jones.

Students, parents/guardians, and educators are encouraged to travel through the virtual Worlds of Work platform via www.worldsofwork.com during the launch week. For additional questions, please contact West AlabamaWorks Program Manager Brittani Colburn via brittani@westalabamaworks.com.