TALENT ATTRACTION
& RETENTION
Alabama’s growing industries and natural resources position the state for growth. EDPA is committed to fueling that growth through helping Alabama’s communities and employers attract and retain the talent they need.
Alabama needs to retain its best and brightest. But how?
Alabama produces thousands of talented college graduates each year. It’s time we kept more of them for their careers as well as their education. Over 34,000 students graduated with bachelor’s degrees in Alabama in 2020. But the state keeps just about 2 of every 3 in-state students and only 1 of every 5 out-of-state students one year after graduation. In partnership with the state’s largest employers, economic developers, and higher education institutions, EDPA hopes to shift the trend on student retention.
About
Fuel Alabama (FuelAL) is a statewide talent attraction and retention initiative led by the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA) in partnership with Innovate Alabama. The program connects college student interns and early-career professionals with Alabama’s communities, industries, and professional networks through immersive experiences that showcase the state’s career opportunities and quality of life.
FuelAL provides students interning in Alabama with access to regional programming, industry treks, mentorship, and community engagement activities, helping them build meaningful connections beyond the workplace. The program also hosts targeted industry summits across the state, spotlighting Alabama’s high-growth sectors such as aerospace and defense, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, technology, and entrepreneurship. These summits bring together students, industry leaders, and economic developers to explore career pathways and strengthen the pipeline of top talent in Alabama.
Since its launch, FuelAL has engaged hundreds of students annually, shaping perceptions of Alabama as a destination for young professionals. By fostering deep connections between students and local communities, FuelAL plays a key role in strengthening Alabama’s workforce and driving economic growth.
To learn more about unique programming within specific communities, please reach out to the FuelAL Host City points of contact below. Also, please see internship applications per community below.
ALEX: The Alabama Experience
About
ALEX: The Alabama Experience is a mobile exhibit, featuring a collection of interactive kiosks and informational pieces, as well as a knowledgeable staff who walks visitors through every aspect of life in Alabama. An immersive, first-hand experience, ALEX is the personification of Alabama through technology, powered by Atlas RFID Solutions, and it offers visitors an inside look at careers, educational opportunities and unique lifestyle available within the state. ALEX is not a job fair, but it offers individuals the ability to travel through a virtual reality experience to encounter the amenities and advantages of life in Alabama – from work to play, to costs of living. It showcases innovation of the state through industrial, interactive robots playing Korfball, motion capture suites displaying athletic movement, Alabama’s seven, diverse workforce regions and more.
Where EDPA Will Play a Role
Research
EDPA’s partnerships allow for a broad and deep research approach learning about students and graduates in a qualitative and quantitative manner. Moving forward, our research efforts will expand to include other demographics, employers and communities. By looking at all three stakeholders, we can identify the state’s talent supply and demand – and address shortfalls in specific, targeted ways.
Convening
EDPA is one of few organizations with relationships with the three major talent-related groups: employers, universities, and economic developers. As a statewide organization, we can convene them to learn from each other’s success, failures, and best practices, as well as from national or international examples of talent attraction and retention.
Communications
The data has shown that cities should be the focus, not the state; students are eager to learn more about job opportunities; and different communities offer different value propositions.
EDPA will work with individual communities to establish and communicate a brand that emphasizes their unique assets directly to the talent they need.
Targeted Student Programming
EDPA will continue to learn directly from and communicate with students. Our FuelAL summer fellowship program offers exposure for sophomores and juniors interning at Alabama's best companies to the rich history, culture, and opportunities across the state.