Montgomery, Ala. (WDNews) — Alabama lawmakers have approved a pair of bills designed to strengthen career and technical education and help students find jobs that do not require a four-year college degree.
The Alabama House of Representatives passed both measures unanimously Thursday.
“The monies that we’re putting in that direction are gonna pay dividends for the state of Alabama,” said Majority Whip James Lomax (R-Huntsville), the sponsor of House Bill 517.
House Bill 517 would offer tax credits to employers who temporarily loan employees to community colleges and public high schools. Those employees could serve as instructors for career and technical education programs.
Supporters say the bill could help schools bring real-world job experience into the classroom while addressing instructor shortages in technical programs.
A second measure, House Bill 520, would make it easier for teachers licensed in other states to move to Alabama and begin teaching career and technical education courses.
“We want to make sure we have the workforce that is gonna align with that for the future and making sure that we’re taking care of the children and their opportunities as they come into the workforce,” Lomax said.
House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) said the legislation was developed after discussions with industry leaders who highlighted the need for more skilled workers.
“We’re trying to train kids to go into the fields that they have but we’ve never sat down and talked to them until this package of bills, so it’s changed the dialogue a little bit, rightfully so, because they know what they need and we can’t keep doing the same thing that we’ve always done,” Ledbetter said.
Lawmakers now have about 10 working days remaining in the 2026 legislative session for the measures to move through the Senate before heading to Gov. Kay Ivey’s desk for consideration.
