The Hatch Podcast

Golden Age of Growth: Transforming South Alabama’s Workforce with Dr. Josh Duplantis

• Hatch Fairhope • Season 2 • Episode 1

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How is South Alabama shaping the future of its workforce? Join Dr. Josh Duplantis, Dean of Workforce and Economic Development at Coastal Alabama Community College, on the Hatch Podcast as he unveils the strategies driving economic growth and workforce innovation in the Gulf Coast region. From pioneering apprenticeships to launching biotech programs, discover how Baldwin County is diversifying its economy and preparing the next generation for high-demand careers. Tune in for insights on bridging education and industry to build a stable, thriving regional economy.

What You Will Learn  

  • How innovative apprenticeships are connecting local talent with high-demand industries.  
  • The role of data-driven strategies in workforce development.  
  • Why diversification is key to economic stability in Baldwin County.  
  • Emerging opportunities in biotech and life sciences in South Alabama.  
  • Practical steps for students to explore and prepare for rewarding careers locally.

Key Topics Discussed  

  • The "golden age" of economic growth in South Alabama and the challenges of meeting job demands.  
  • Coastal Alabama Community College’s role in fostering entrepreneurial ecosystems with Hatch Fairhope.  
  • The impact of diversification on stabilizing Baldwin County’s economy post-COVID.  
  • Labor market trends, including the retirement of baby boomers and skill gaps in male-dominated fields.  
  • The upcoming Biotech Innovation Summit and its significance for emerging industries.  
  • How programs like Baldwin Prep are preparing students for real-world careers.

Show Resources and Links  

Notable Quotes  

  • "As a community, you’re either growing or you’re dying. There’s not a lot of communities just maintaining status quo." – Dr. Josh Duplantis  
  • "Hospitality and tourism will continue to be the goose that lays the golden egg, but bringing in industries that make diversification possible brings stability." – Dr. Josh Duplantis  
  • "Collaboration is going to help our businesses, government entities, and colleges solve the talent challenges that are coming." – Dr. Josh Duplantis

Dr. Josh Duplantis paints an inspiring picture of South Alabama’s economic transformation, emphasizing the power of collaboration, education, and diversification. From apprenticeships to biotech innovation, Coastal Alabama Community College is at the forefront of preparing a skilled workforce for a dynamic future. Whether you’re a student, educator, or industry leader, this episode offers actionable insights into building a thriving regional economy. Don’t miss the Biotech Innovation Summit to see these ideas in action and join the conversation shaping South Alabama’s future.

S02 EP01 - Josh Duplantis.L

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Introduction to Hatch Podcast

VO: Hatch Hatch. This is the Hatch podcast where technology comes to life. A Hatch Fairhope production. 

Host: At Hatch Fairhope, we're all about cultivating creativity, driving innovation, and accelerating growth. Welcome to the Hatch Podcast. Each episode will bring you inspiring conversations with innovators who are pushing boundaries, solving problems, and building the next wave of success.

Meet Dr. Josh Deis

Host: Today I'm joined by Dr. Josh Deis, Dean of Workforce and Economic Development at Coastal Alabama Community College. For over 20 years, Josh has championed innovative apprenticeships led federal adult education programs, and designed high impact certificate programs that help jobs seekers gain the skills industry needs, a self-proclaimed data dork.

Host: He turns labor market information into actionable strategies that strengthen the Gulf Coast region. From serving on key advisory boards to securing millions in grant funding, Josh is all [00:01:00] about empowering communities through education and workforce development. Stay tuned for insights on how he's transforming our regional economy and paving the way for future success.

Host: Josh, welcome to the Hatch Fair Hope Podcast. 

Josh: Thanks so much for having me. 

Host: I usually just say Welcome to Fairhope, but your office is actually in the very building we sit in now, so. You were just down the hall. 

Josh: That's right. You get to come here every day. 

Coastal Alabama Community College's Role

Host: So Coastal has been a partner, um, of Hatch from the very beginning.

Host: Can you talk a little bit about that? You were there from the beginning and that vision. 

Josh: Yeah, it was, and of course, you know, coastal and the Economic Development Alliance are, you know, strong partnership and has been for years. And so we were very happy to support, you know, we heard the, the concept of Hatch.

Josh: Um, e even so much as, uh, I like to joke, I was trained as Rick Miller's backup in the early days. Mm-hmm. You know, and 

Host: so, hey, those are hard shoes 

Josh: to fill. They, they're big shoes to fill for sure. And, um, but, but it's really excited to see all the groundwork that, that he's laid and what's, um, you know, what hatch looks like currently and you know, [00:02:00] what it's looked like in the next couple years as new facilities come on board and we continue to expand, um, all the programs and grow this, uh, kind of entrepreneurial ecosystem we've been working on.

Josh: It's really exciting. 

Innovative Apprenticeships and Training Programs

Host: So your role as Dean of Workforce and economic development, talk about your role and your responsibilities in that role. Um, kind of bridging the gap between education and industry. 

Josh: So you, you really hit the nail on the head there, right? Like we, we are the entity that connects our college with, in, with industry partners, especially really through programming.

Josh: Uh, you know, so what does that look like? You know, we're a state leader in registered apprenticeship programs, and that's when you've got, um, you know, I always say that's local talent. Park 'em with local companies in your local college so that folks can get a quality career in, in demand job here in southwest Alabama.

Josh: Right. It, it's, it's helping our companies grow talent. That's really what we want to do. So apprenticeships is part of it. Um, we do all the training that's not in the credit side of the college, so not your degrees or certificates, but. [00:03:00] Uh, you know, short term training, and we know now with this tight labor market that sometimes it's really all it takes is that credential that may take two, three days a week.

Josh: Um, and we, we operate a pretty large platform of training programs from fiber optics to heavy equipment operation, uh, to nursing assistant, pretty much in every major industry in southwest Alabama. 

Host: So we're gonna just jump right in to, um, yeah, pulling directly from your bio, your self-proclaimed data dork.

Host: So let's drop some of those numbers for us. 

Economic and Workforce Development Insights

Host: Kind of give us the state of the county, south Alabama if you want to, and kind of just paint the picture of economic and workforce development in our region. 

Josh: Well, from a regional standpoint, I, I do think we're, we're kind of in a golden age. I mean, it's, it's really amazing and sometimes a little bit humbling and it makes you a little bit nervous as a workforce developer and how are we gonna meet the demands that's coming in this region?

Josh: Um, but that's an exciting place to be. You know, I always say as a community, uh, either you, you're growing or you're dying. Uh, not a lot of communities are just kinda, [00:04:00] uh, maintaining status quo, if you will. So when you look at this corner of the state, the economic development projects from the aviation to what, you know, um, what we see being built at Nolis in North end of Baldwin County.

Josh: The recent announcement of building the, the Columbia, the Virginia class submarines. On the Gulf Coast is gonna be huge for the next 20 or 30 years in this country. And so, um, of course the intimidating part is all the jobs we gotta fill to, to, to do that. And, and so, um, but, but again, it, it truly is almost a golden age when you see the things, I mean, a m and s and their new, you know, uh, arc furnace project to where we'll actually be making steel here, not taking it in, enrolling it like, like we have done, right?

Josh: And so. Again, you can kind of go on and on the booming hospitality, uh, that, that we've got down in the beach in South Baldwin. And so just to see and be able to support that dynamic, um, that's becoming more and more diversified is really exciting. 

Diversification and Stability in Baldwin County

Host: Well, and uh, before we started [00:05:00] recording, we were talking a little bit about diversification and the importance of it.

Host: Like probably the average person, you ask them about Balwin County, they think beaches, they think tourism, hospitality. And you were pointing out, you know, we saw. What kind of hit that took, especially during covid and the importance of diversifying. Um, you know, the, the, um, work that's offered here in the businesses we bring, talk a little bit about the importance of that.

Josh: Yeah. And you know, hospitality in Baldwin County and tourism, you know, really is, and it will continue to be the, the goose that lays the golden egg, you know? Oh, right. Eight, 8 million visitors leaving behind $8 billion. Not just the tax benefit for Baldwin County, but for the state of Alabama. You know, we are Alabama tourism, uh, the Gulf Coast beaches, um, you know.

Josh: When you get a a, um, like you said, the pandemic, you know, the challenge there is we were a little bit over-reliant on the service industry, meaning a, a a, a little bit too high of a concentration of our jobs. Were were there and, and we saw that we went from the lowest unemployment in the state to the highest within like [00:06:00] two weeks.

Josh: Because of a little bit of an over reliance. So, you know, what do you do, right? You go out and you get a, a, a well-paying thousand job manufacturer. You know, you expand into the logistics, you do all the thing that economic development team has led. Um, you know, tomorrow night we'll be, you know, pro promoting an event that's coming up with, with Hatchet and to talk about biotech.

Josh: Um, so I, I think a lot of that momentum is really, really cool. Um, again, with. All the respect in the world to our goose, that continues to lay the golden egg. Exactly. Of course. But, but bringing in those industries that just make diversification possible. And when you diversify, you bring stability. Right?

Josh: And everybody wants to live in an economy, a local economy that's stable. 

Labor Market Trends and Challenges

Host: Let's talk a little bit about where you see the labor market and, um, Balwin County and, and regionally. 

Josh: Well, I go back to my thing about, you know, you either growing, you're dying, and we're very fortunate to be, to be growing here. Um, sometimes I get concerned that we're growing people, uh, with people that wanna retire early to our beautiful, beautiful beaches and not [00:07:00] work.

Josh: You know, I want everybody to participate in work. That's kind of my thing. But, um, you know, as I was thinking in late 2024, and I usually get a chance to talk to a lot of our chambers and a lot of our businesses about, you know, what is this labor market gonna look like? Um. I started playing with titles for, for January Talks, and I, I titled it Outer Outer Bands.

Josh: And my point was that I, I think what we saw in 22 and 23 with the really tight labor market, there was a just a wage war. There was a war for talent that that was the outer bands. And in December I said, well, now we're kind of in the calm before the second part of that storm, I think. Um. When you look at what's happening all around the country, it's, it's not necessarily the column is the chaos.

Josh: Um, you know, a lot of, you look at a lot of federal workers reentering the market and you look at some of these other things. We had a little bit of a disappointing job report, uh, last Friday. Um, not, not bad. The economy's still growing. Um, so, so it's a little chaotic, I think right [00:08:00] now, but I still see it as.

Josh: That 20 22, 23 we're kind of those outer bands, and we've still got a labor market storm brewing and, you know, and what does that mean, right? We've got the largest generation of Americans and baby boomers are retiring at record pace. Um, that's not getting noticed. Um, but you know, by most folks, that's a generation of talent that has, you know, really, you know, kind of built this economy.

Josh: When, when you start to think about it and you got that, you know, we've got some structural issues with men in the workforce, uh, not just men in the workforce, but the thing that. A lot of the in-demand occupations that we're gonna have this most significant skill gaps over the next 10 years are primarily male dominated over the last 50 years.

Josh: That's not to say that we we're always trying to get more females to do some of these things. That's just what the data shows, you know, 98% of auto mechanics or, or men Right. Your, your linemen, um, you know, your, your craft laborers and all those things, which is a whole nother conversation that we have with some of the things we see happening with immigration.

Josh: You know, who's gonna build our [00:09:00] houses? Mm-hmm. Um, we need that to continue to grow, right? If people want to come here, we gotta have a roof over their head, right? And so, um, I I, I really do think we're kind of in that spot. Um, again, three months ago I thought it was a, a calm spot and then it's kind of turned into more KX spot.

Josh: But I think that's why it's more important to do things like we're gonna do tomorrow night with bringing, uh, leaders and interested folks. Uh. Into what, what is an emerging industry for us together? Uh, because it's really gonna be collaboration that's gonna help our businesses, not just our businesses, but our government entities, our colleges and all that.

Josh: Make sure we solve the talent challenges that are coming. 

Host: Right. 

Biotech Innovation Summit

Host: So tomorrow night we're, you're actually one of our panelists and we're gonna discuss more about this, um, for, uh, hatch is partnering with Bio Alabama for our very first, hopefully maybe an annual event, but our very first, uh, biotech innovation summit, um, at the Grand Hotel.

Host: And your [00:10:00] speaking at that. Talk a little bit about that emerging industry specifically in our area. 

Josh: I really like working with emerging industries, and especially when you get to engage with them early on. You know, they, we, we don't, when you look at it, we're still, still kind of in infancy. You know, we're not as mature as the Birmingham market is at this point.

Josh: And it, and it's really cool to be bringing people together, as I talked about, like kind of the labor market, you know, the way it was and, you know, the nineties and the two thousands and even the 2010s, you know, you kind of. It was kind of every man for himself. Um, you know, I, I kinda mentioned to you earlier, you know, you got somebody who's paying 18, the next guy down the road is paying 1850 labor moves, you know, that kind of stuff.

Josh: But I, I do think the path forward is for collaboration and, hey, let's grow a bigger pizza so everybody can have a bigger slice. We're, we're actually doing that in Baldwin County Manufacturing. We have a new program called fame, which is Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education, and it's an apprenticeship program made to take, uh, recent high school graduates.

Josh: And in two years they'll be, uh, [00:11:00] well-skilled, experienced, uh, well-paid, advanced, uh. Manufacturing and maintenance technicians, and we've got 12 companies on board right there. And they're the largest manufacturers in Baldwin County. Um, what's been interesting to see is those manufacturers has gone into our local high schools, not for themselves, but for the group.

Josh: Uh, and that's turning out to be very successful. Our applications will close this week and we'll move on to the interview process, and it looks like everybody's gonna get the talent they need. Well, you know, they're not, they're a little green, they're not perfectly prepared. But between that partnership of the college, the company, the apprenticeship program, we're gonna grow that next generation of talent.

Josh: So that doesn't happen without collaboration and bringing those people together, and you know that that's gonna be what? We do with biotech tomorrow night, you know? And so to have that collaboration from the get go, uh, and have those folks talking to each other and knowing who each other is, and the resources available is gonna help us grow this industry for the next 10, 20 [00:12:00] years.

Host: So speaking of programming, there is a biotech program coming down the pipeline. 

Biotech and Life Sciences Education

Host: Correct? 

Josh: Yeah. And, and that's, you know, I always tell people when an emerging industry, it's always interesting because, you know, your, your colleges and universities are also held to certain standards, right? So if, if we start an academic program, a degree program, let's say an associate's degree.

Josh: We're expected to graduate so many individuals in that field. So we've gotta make sure that there are jobs for them to go. That's what, especially, that's what I love about the community college, right? We're here for our local community and that's where we spend our focus. And so we wanna take that local talent and make sure they have jobs here locally, right?

Josh: So, you know, sometimes you can't necessarily just say, well, I'm gonna start an associate's degree program. Because it's growing, right? I mean, you know, we're, we're, we're kind of still in our infancy. So, but what we can do and what we already have done, um, is kind of short term certification classes. Right.

Josh: And we got one coming down the pipe. It should be deliverable in Baldwin County, I'm told like kind of late summer. Uh, in a biotech [00:13:00] or biotech mission type role. Um, and the way we design these things is that we design a lot of computer based training. We have a group, um, that's kind of part of our community college system office called the Innovation Center, a great group of folks.

Josh: They develop these things, the theory portion online. Then they come in for what we call intense labs. And we do a lot of training, like I said, fiber optics and heavy equipment operation and customer service in the same model. And it's, it's proven to work well no matter what the competency is in this case, kind of that bio technician.

Josh: So, uh, that's coming down the pipe and that'll at least get somebody with a comparable skillset, um, kind of starting down the path of employment, um, as we continue to, to grow this industry. 

Host: And who's that open to? I mean, what are the requirements beforehand? I. 

Josh: There are none. Okay. Um, so we, we, we can take anybody and it's actually at no cost to them.

Josh: Uh, the Skills for Success program, always thankful. I always like to thank the, the Alabama legislature actually funds skills for success to where the [00:14:00] colleges get a rebate when we com, just when people complete. So unless we get 'em, uh, through the class learning competencies kinda ready to go, um, I call 'em 60 day competency.

Josh: So when we design these things, we're saying, Hey, what is that? Um, you know, excavator operator need to know if, if they would go get a quality job, they'd be 60 days in. Where would they be? That's the question we ask when we're designing all these things. Right? So, and the same thing with this biotech. What are the specific skills and competencies that they should display?

Josh: If they'd be on the job for two months and ready to go, right. That's kind of the reverse engineer from there, and that's kind of how we build these courses. But the rebate system's great because we just have to be intentional about choosing the right people and once we can train them and place them and then we're supported there through, um, through the program.

Host: Are you seeing more students interested in careers like biotech and med tech underneath of the life sciences? 

Josh: Well, I dunno. Life sciences, certainly. I think on the healthcare space we've seen a boon. [00:15:00] Um, I like I kind of mentioned my conversation about the, the ne the, the storm, if you will, that's still coming from a labor market, I think.

Josh: Life sciences, healthcare is gonna kind of be in the front end of that. Um, and really that's how I'm looking at biotech now as well. And, and through, like you mentioned, kind of a data to work, I always like to look at jobs from a skills perspective. Okay. Like, what are the skills necessary to do this job?

Josh: You know, my, my examples always that what if our EDA goes out and gets a chip manufacturer? I don't think we're gonna, they're all in Phoenix. But if we would, where would you find that talent? Right. There's no degree programs in chip manufacturing. That's not what we train for. 'cause we don't have it here.

Josh: Right. Well, I'd go get a dental hygienist and you say, well, wow, what, you know, that's not, that's two different things. But when you think about it, dexterity, um, find motor skills. Mm-hmm. Uh, ability to work in a confined space. Uh, ability to work, uh, most of the day without conversation, even though my dental hygienist tries to talk to me while my mouth's wide open, right?

Josh: [00:16:00] Mm-hmm. Like, you, you just can't have it. Mm-hmm. So you, you gotta, you gotta bring it down. And even when, when, one of the things that I've been promoting to the biotech folks is like, look at our medical lab tech program. Mm-hmm. If you run a skills comparison there, I mean you're talking about a 90% match on what we're teaching in medical lab tech and what's gonna be necessary to fill some biotech jobs.

Josh: So for me, even for an advanced level, like an associate's degree occupation, you could pull from there and run the class specifically for biotech that I talked about, the Skills for Success class that that teaches 'em that and have a pretty well-rounded individual. Right, right. Probably. In the 95th percentile of matching skills to the job before we mature enough to be able to kind of take the next steps from a curriculum standpoint.

Host: You've covered this a little bit, but what skills do you see are in highest demand for biotech and life sciences sector? Um, and you guys are, how are you guys helping to meet that need? You're talking more about your program, the class, the, um, what skills are gonna be learned in that? 

Josh: Right. And, and like I said, I think from, from our perspective, from the two year college [00:17:00] perspective, we looking at the technician level job.

Josh: Mm-hmm. Right? That, that the, the technician in the biotech lab and what does that person need? Like I mentioned earlier, I, I take a look at related programs, you know, and we, we've got a really good program, uh, we call it MLT. You know, medical lab tech. Mm-hmm. And when you take a look at what the students are learning in that program, it's chemistry, you know, a lot of chemistry.

Josh: Right. Gonna be very relevant to, to biotech, laboratory equipment. Mm-hmm. Right. Standard operating procedures, um, for medical lab. But they do some phlebotomy. That's not necessarily a, a thing in biotech, but still, um, a little microbiology. Um, and of course, um, sterilization, you know, your, your clean environment, some of those things, and, and that's what I'm saying, that's the skill match.

Josh: And so when you take a look at that, and then you take a look at our, the course we developed specifically for, uh, biotech, uh, we're covering skills like PPE and safety, uh, decontamination, disinfection microscope use. So again, the same thing we're covering in [00:18:00] some other programs. Uh, simple and differential stains.

Josh: Measurement, which, you know, measurement's funny because it doesn't matter whether it's biotech or manufacturing or whatever, like measurement, right. In general, you know, is always like kind of one of those competencies that you need. Mm-hmm. And then, you know, preparing mixtures, um, preparing good lab samples, um, and then again using that common lab equipment.

Josh: So, you know, I think. I think what we've developed is a heck of a start to get it. You know, you gotta get those people with their 60 day competencies into the companies that are growing. So the, that we can make sure we start to, to build that talent, uh, again, build that occupation out that again, it is not, you know, way more mature in the Birmingham market and stuff, but we'll, we'll, we'll get there.

Josh: And that's kind of the plan to do. So. 

Career Development and Workforce Preparation

Host: So what's your advice or the, you know, why Baldwin County to the, I think there's 32,000 or so. Um. Last I looked students in Baldwin County schools, however many of those would be graduating seniors. What's your pitch to them? Why Baldwin County? What, what [00:19:00] do we have to offer?

Host: Why, why come back home? 

Josh: Well, I think we need to help our, our local talent and our students from here, uh, to realize why so many people are moving here. Right, right. This, this is truly a gym. And sometimes, and I've spent, especially in the last year, it could been a time in our high schools recruitment for some other programs, probably more so than I have in a, in a very long time.

Josh: And so I think it's a natural inclination that, that I had growing up in South Louisiana. So I gotta get out course, I want get out. Of course, everybody kind of has that, you know. Um, and again, they don't know what they don't know. Um, that, that's what we're really like. And we've, we've talked a lot. Um, and when I say we, you know, coastal, our economic development alliance about the whole, you know, career development pathway, uh, we do a lot of preparation, right?

Josh: That's what we were talking about today, right? Our biotech class, our apprenticeships, starting new programs that's prepare and say, okay, well I'm aware of this. I want to do this, whatever this is in this case, a bio technician, uh, now I'm gonna prepare to do it. Before you can get somebody to preparation stays, right.

Josh: A lot of times, first of all, they [00:20:00] need to be made aware of it, right? I say that with manufacturing all the time. If you drive up Highway 43, you just, you don't know that there's some really cool, like 11 mile rolls of steel being built like a half mile from, you don't see it and you know, you don't get the chance.

Josh: Not everybody gets a chance to go and see that, right? So a lot of our young people just don't know what's out there. We've gotta help them understand, we've gotta make 'em aware and then we've gotta expose 'em to it. Y you know, I mean, how, how many people end up in, in this nursing school before they find out they don't like blood?

Josh: Right? Well, that, that's a little too far along on the pathway, right? So we've gotta expose 'em to the things that are, um, relevant to the career, and then we've gotta let 'em explore it a little bit, right? And that's why I love the job shadowing short internships and all that needs to happen even before it comes to us for the preparation stage of work.

Josh: And so. You get workforce development systems and everybody kind of does a little piece of this puzzle, but a lot of times we don't bring that together in a linear sense to make sure that I'm made aware of careers, I'm able to [00:21:00] explore careers or well, I'm exposed to 'em, you know, I can explore them by, by trying 'em again through job shadowing or internships, and then I get to a spot where I'm pro.

Josh: Pairing for that career, right? So that's something we're always thinking about to make sure that we've got, we've got that kind of linear process and you know, and how do you do that, right? Do you, do you take 'em places? Do you use VR goggles? You know, those are all the tools. I call 'em the tools in your workforce toolkit.

Josh: And you gotta have a lot of 'em, right? Because all the different industries, all the jobs, and we continue to promote diversification. That means we've got to be well versed in how we train people for all these new things, right? And that certainly starts with our next generation. Uh, I can tell you if there's any one space to work in as a workforce developer, it is that emerging workforce.

Josh: You know, we've got, there's people outside the labor market that could kind of come back, uh, you know, compared to a football game right in the sidelines. We gotta get 'em back in the game. We work in that, we try to do that. I'm not saying that's impossible. That is very difficult work. You know, we do it. Um, [00:22:00] so to me, when you look at the bang for your bug, you've really gotta go the uc community and have a comprehensive kind of career and workforce development system.

Josh: I. Uh, allows them to do all the things which ultimately ends with them staying here and filling the quality jobs that we've brought in. 

Host: Talk a little bit about Ballwin Prep and one of those, some of those resources like that. 

Josh: It is phenomenal. Uh, and I would say call 'em up and go tour, but I think they may have some door fatigue going on after a year of being open and having people from all over the country.

Josh: But what a significant investment by our public school system. You know, and always applaud, applaud the foresight of Superintendent Tyler and, and John Wilson over there, you know, $110 million investment. And it, and it really is state of the art. And, and, and it's not just the facilities are spectacular, but which you go inside and see what Principal Sealy is doing with what we call the simulated workplace.

Josh: You know, they're, they, they go in and if they're in healthcare, they got scrubs on. Hmm. Uh, they're clocking in, they're clocking out, they're getting, uh, real. World, uh, you know, [00:23:00] simulated work experience. They have, they can get leadership roles. Uh, and this is, it doesn't matter whether it's the nursing program or the aviation program, the welding program, all of 'em work the same way.

Josh: They can earn money and then they get money. Uh, you know, it's, it's kind of a, a fake currency, like, so we'll call it monopoly money. Where they have to pay rent. And because that's the other side of this, right. Are you ready for a job? Right. Right. Once you're prepared for it, do you know what to do? Uh, and I've taught a lot of classes to folks in those experience over the years, and most of the time they're clueless.

Josh: Mm-hmm. You know, and even how to like ask for time off, I mean, you really gotta hit the basics. And so, uh, again, I always applaud them when you see the facility. You're just blown away. And we walk alongside 'em for a lot of workforce credentials. So all the construction kids get like skid steer operation and excavator operation and all that kind of stuff.

Josh: So we operate a good bit there as well from the workforce development side. But again, just as important as, um, the outside looks, it's really what happens inside of it. Getting our young people, again, preparation stage right? Preparing, um, you know, for, for that career that hopefully they'll, they'll stay [00:24:00] here and, uh, and get into.

Conclusion and Event Preview

Host: Josh, I look forward to hearing, uh, more from you on the panel and all our, all our other speakers and panelists. It's gonna be a great event tomorrow night. Um, and I just appreciate you taking the time to sit down and talk with us today. 

Josh: Well, thanks Stephanie. I appreciate it. And I'm, I'm really looking forward this event's created a lot of buzz, not just here, but all around the state and I've heard from other colleagues.

Josh: And so, uh, anytime that, um. Us and our partners and everybody can look down here in, in our little, uh, slice of Alabama and see innovation and see things that people are buzzing and talking about. That's always a, a really good thing. So I'm really looking forward to it. 

Host: We've got, um, our podcast producer, Tim, I like what he says.

Host: He is like, we've got all that and the view. Good. So you no reason, no reason not 

VO: to. 

Host: All right. Thanks so much, Josh. I appreciate it. Thank you, 

VO: hatch. Hatch Hatch. This has been The Hatch Podcast, a production of the Hatch Team in Fairhope, Alabama. Host Stephanie GLIs, producer Tim Scott, executive producer and creator, Keith GLIs.

VO: Visit www.hatchfairhope.com for more [00:25:00] information.