Selma-Dallas County EDA hosts first Industry Summit to help local businesses

Selma-Dallas County Economic Development Authority held their first Industry Summit last week to offer resources to local employers. 

Brenda Tuck, new EDA executive director who started in January, said summits like these are important in rural communities, where she repeatedly hears companies say they need help finding workers, training workers and understanding what programs were available to support them.  

“So many people need so much, and no one knows what they don’t know,” she said. “Where do I find the people? How do I get them at a cost savings knowing I’m going to need to train them? Where do I get the training dollars to train them?” 

The summit held on June 24 at Carl Morgan Convention Center drew a crowd of business leaders for the all-day Workforce Readiness & Advancement Program that was put on in partnership with Wallace Community College Selma. 

The program featured sessions for agencies and workforce partners to explain what they offer. One agency is the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services that came prepared with information ranging from helping older employees stay on the job to assisting younger workers recovering from injuries. Other agencies offered leadership training, incumbent worker training, new hire programs and expansion related support.  

“You don’t have to pick one,” Tuck said. “You can probably at some point use all of these somehow some way together.” 

Tuck said the summit also helped resource providers by giving them direct access to the industries they serve. Several groups used QR codes so employers could immediately signal what assistance they needed. “I thought that was ingenious,” she said. 

Although the EDA remains available to help companies make connections, Tuck said the summit allows industries to move faster when they already know who to call. “We don’t mind the lead, follow or get out of the way,” she said. “If you can go ahead and do what you need to do and don’t need to wait on my schedule, that’s even better.” 

She said the event capped three months of work gathering information from agencies statewide. The EDA is preparing a summary guide that explains each program, who qualifies, deadlines, funding windows and training options. It will be available in print and digital formats. 

The EDA has also created a talent task force made up of the agencies involved. When a company calls with a workforce need, Tuck said the EDA can now immediately reach out to all partners. “It may be four solutions,” she said. “We hand them all to the company and then they decide.” 

Tuck said the summit will be held annually, though next year’s focus will depend on what industries say they need most. Workforce may remain the priority, but she said the EDA is prepared to shift if companies identify another pressing issue. 

Beginning in July, the EDA will also launch its Align program, which stands for Advancing Local Industry Growth Now. The focus of which is to bring industries together throughout the year for deeper discussions with resource providers. “Not just a 15-to-30-minute summary,” she said, “but let them get in the weeds with the group.”