Training class set for January

The first training class for a portion of the 1,800 jobs expected at National Alabama Corp. could begin as early as January, company officials said Wednesday.

National Alabama Corp. announced in July plans to build a massive railcar manufacturing plant in Colbert County, with a target date of spring 2009 for production to begin.

The company, a subsidiary of National Steel Car in Canada, has formed a partnership with Alabama Industrial Development Training to help assess and train potential workers.

The development training program, which is also known as AIDT, has been used by numerous Alabama companies as they have cranked up operations or expanded.

Among their clients have been Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Hyundai.

AIDT officials said they will likely begin recruiting interested applicants as early as October, with plans of beginning the training process in January. They said advertisements will be run in the TimesDaily notifying interested people of when and how they can sign up for the program.

"We need to start training months and months before the actual start up," said Peter Earle, communications counsel for National Alabama Corp.

Final decisions about many personnel issues have not been made, but Earle estimates that 700 to 900 workers will be needed when production begins in early 2009. The workforce will gradually increase until reaching the 1,800-job level.

The first workers will likely be placed on the payroll during the second half of 2008 because, as Earle pointed out, the company will need "equipment, people and technology in place well before" production begins.

Steve Sheridan, project manager for AIDT, said the process involves screening applicants, training them, having company officials observe them and providing individuals with opportunities to evaluate the company and the job requirements.

"What we do is come in and work with the new company and develop a customized training program for them," he said.

The training will include background on National Alabama, safety, math, quality, manufacturing processes, and an assessment station built to resemble parts of the plant to see if potential employees can simulate the work, Sheridan said.

"The other part of the training will be the processes, such as welding, and we'll train them how to weld the way National Alabama wants," he said. "We want to make them get a feel of what it's going to be like working on a daily basis."

He said the pre-employment training program does not guarantee a person a job with National Alabama. Rather, they are providing applicants with the opportunity to learn about the types of training and skills that will be needed by National Alabama before the hiring process begins.

Sheridan said training sessions will be held outside of the applicant's current daily job, which provides him or her with the opportunity to compete for a better job without risking losing the current job.

"One of the beauties of the process is going after the underemployed that already have skills and work ethic that companies want," Sheridan said.

He said applicants who do not meet the expectations or criteria National Alabama has set forth, will be given a different opportunity.

"We're working with Northwest-Shoals (Community College) and (Shoals Economic Development Authority) through a process to allow the folks who have been screened out to update their skills and get them back into the system," Sheridan said.

They can either reapply after training and developing their abilities, or Sheridan said those workers can fill available positions created by those leaving their current positions to work with National Alabama.

"Since our process goes after folks currently employed, there are going to be positions to be filled at other businesses," Sheridan said. "So, we're really training 3,600 people for new jobs, if all 1,800 needed at National Alabama are currently working elsewhere."

Michael Reaves, database administrator for Alabama Industrial Development Training, said some small businesses are worried they're going to be losing employees to National Alabama.

"We want to meet with them hopefully the last week of this month to explain to them the process and what it will mean," Reaves said.

Earle said the partnership with the development training operation and its pre-empoloyment program will be a critical one.

"It's a cornerstone of what we're trying to achieve as a successful business in your TimesDaily Staff Writer Kenda Williams can be reached at 740-5720 or kenda.williams@timesdaily.com.