July 2023

Monthly Scoop!

Shoals EDA's Employment Growth Program is Renewed!

The Shoals EDA's Employment Growth Program is officially renewed! This program, designed to promote the increase of quality employment opportunities within The Shoals community, has been a great success and asset to our community. 

Through the EGP, we hope to encourage full-time employment growth through a streamlined process and incentive that provides assistance to eligible applicants offering new employment opportunities for Shoals citizens. From June 2022- June 2023, 11 companies participated in the EGP. These companies created a total of 51 new jobs with an average entry-level wage of $18/hr. This means over $1.9 million in new annual payroll has been created as a result of this program. 

It is exciting to witness the positive impact that this program continues to have on the Shoals community and its existing industries! To learn more and/or request an application, contact Rob Jones at (256)349-5632 or rjones@shoalseda.com. 

The first cohort of Code Alabama completed their coursework on Thursday, July 27th. The Shoals EDA and Tennessee Valley Authority Economic Development, along with the University of North Alabama, were present to celebrate the success of these students.

Throughout the 8-week course, students were able to acquire practical knowledge in two widely-used programming languages. They had the opportunity to engage with various companies in search of software developers on a weekly basis. As a result, these students have gained the necessary skills to become valuable members of a software development team and have established connections that can aid them in furthering their education or beginning their careers.

SMA Tours Wilson Dam

The Shoals Manufacturing Association (SMA) recently had the chance to visit the Wilson Dam, a historic and vital landmark in the area that is run by the Tennessee Valley Authority. The dam's construction started back in 1924, which is almost a decade before TVA was established. Wilson Dam is a National Historic Landmark and is the biggest conventional hydroelectric facility in the TVA system, with 21 generating units and a summer net dependable capacity of 653 megawatts. The tour was a great learning experience for everyone involved as they explored the dam's history and functions. To learn more about this power-producing resource, check out this video on TVA's website: https://www.tva.com/energy/our-power-system/hydroelectric/wilson.

For more information about SMA, including the cost to join, visit our website. To join or for any questions, contact Rob Jones at (256)349-5632 or rjones@shoalseda.com.