News & Alerts

The Tuscaloosa County Commission invites qualified firms to submit proposals for the redesign, development, and deployment of it’s website, www.tuscco.com. The deadline to submit sealed envelopes is October 7, 2024 at 3:00pm (CST).

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September 13, 2024

For Immediate Release

Tuscaloosa County Commission Expands IGNITE Student Jobs Kiosks in County High Schools

Tuscaloosa County, Alabama – In partnership with West AlabamaWorks!, the County Commission has expanded the IGNITE Student Jobs program by adding kiosks in each of the six county high schools. The cost of this expansion was funded by District 3 County Commissioner, Mark Nelson, who allocated $75,000 towards the six kiosks and creation of the new STEM portal. This partnership comes in addition to the Commission’s previous support of $175,000 to develop the program.

“The Commission is pleased to grow what has already been a successful partnership with West AlabamaWorks!” said Probate Judge Rob Robertson. “This program has proved to be a tremendous success and with this latest expansion, more students will have the opportunity to gain valuable work experience.”

IGNITE was launched in May 2022 after Judge Rob Robertson approached the West Alabama Works’ team with a concept after seeing students miss out on job opportunities during the Covid pandemic. Since then, the innovative program has continued to grow and evolve, including the Commission’s recent approval to create a STEM portal, IGNITE Uplink, that is expected to launch next year.

“Utilizing District 3 ARPA funds, I am proud to further the County’s existing partnership with West AlabamaWorks! to provide IGNITE kiosks in each of the county’s high schools” said County Commissioner Mark Nelson. “In the two years since the launch of this program, we have seen an incredible response from our students and local businesses. With this expansion, we hope the approximately 11,000 county high school students will take advantage of this unique opportunity.”

Since the launch, over 5,100 applications from over 1,800 students have been submitted. In addition, West AlabamaWorks! has worked with local businesses and schools to host job fairs and other promotional events. For more information on the IGNITE program and available jobs, visit https://www.wawstudentjobs.com/.

“”The I.G.N.I.T.E. Student Employment Initiative is a collaborative community effort driven by the business and education partners in West Alabama,” said Donny Jones, Executive Director of West AlabamaWorks!. “We encourage businesses to invest in the future workforce by providing students with employment opportunities. Together, we can help high school students explore future careers and ignite their full potential.”

Employers who are willing to hire students ages 14 and up are encouraged to visit https://www.wawstudentjobs.com/employer-information for more information on advertising.

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The Tuscaloosa County Commission will conduct a work session at 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, following the regularly scheduled Commission meeting. The purpose of the work session will be to discuss the FY2025 budget. Click here for more information.