Montgomery Area Chamber Hosted a Look at Workforce & Industry Alignment in Action

Montgomery Area Chamber Hosted a Look at Workforce & Industry Alignment in Action 
Connecting Classrooms to Careers: A Tour of Progress
 
On July 17, 2025, the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce hosted The Momentum Express—a powerful, day-long experience designed to showcase how the region is aligning workforce development with economic opportunity. With leaders from education, government, faith-based organizations, the judicial system, and youth-focused nonprofits in attendance, the tour offered a comprehensive view of how Montgomery is preparing its workforce for the future, starting in the classroom, and extending all the way to the production floor.
 
The day began with a windshield tour through Montgomery’s thriving industrial park, where participants had a firsthand look at the businesses fueling economic growth and job creation. The route highlighted major employers and investments, including Hyundai, Meta, Mobis, Amazon, the Montgomery Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF), FedEx, Manna, Diageo, DC Blox, Genpak, and Hyundai Transys. These stops painted a compelling picture of the scale and diversity of Montgomery’s industrial footprint—and the workforce needed to sustain and grow it.
 
While the windshield tour revealed the scale of industry growth, the next phase of the Momentum Express experience brought the focus inward—to the places where Montgomery’s workforce is being shaped long before graduates enter the job market.
The tour transitioned to two key educational institutions: Trenholm State Community College and the Montgomery Preparatory Academy for Career Technologies (MPACT). Both sites are at the heart of Montgomery’s strategy to align education with the real-world demands of its economy.
 
At Trenholm State, guests explored how dual enrollment programs are giving high school students a critical head start, allowing them to earn college credit and industry certifications simultaneously. These programs serve as a bridge between K-12 education and high-skill careers in fields like healthcare, advanced manufacturing, IT, and transportation.
 
Through hands-on labs, strong employer partnerships, and a career-focused curriculum, Trenholm is equipping students with the skills local industries are demanding today and preparing them to adapt to the needs of tomorrow.
 
The college’s commitment to accessibility also plays a key role. With many students coming from underserved communities, Trenholm serves as a vital on-ramp to higher education and sustainable careers helping close opportunity gaps while fueling economic mobility.
 
The message was clear: Montgomery isn’t waiting for talent to arrive—it’s building it from the ground up.
 
Inside a portion of the former Montgomery Mall, MPACT is making bold moves of its own. As the career and technical education hub for Montgomery Public Schools, MPACT offers pathways in healthcare, construction, automotive tech, culinary arts, IT, and more.
 
Students here don’t just learn about careers, they experience them. Modern labs mimic real-world workplaces. Industry partners help shape curriculum. And students graduate with certifications, real-life experience, and a tangible plan for the future.
 
For many, MPACT is more than a school, it’s a launchpad. The revitalization of the former mall into a state-of-the-art learning center also symbolizes a deeper transformation: Montgomery’s shift toward investing in human capital as a key driver of long-term growth.
 
What makes the work of Trenholm and MPACT so powerful is the intentional alignment with regional industry needs. From logistics to IT, from automotive to food and beverage production, these institutions are tailoring their programs to match exactly what local employers are looking for.
 
This alignment is already yielding results: stronger graduation outcomes, reduced skills gaps, and a regional workforce that’s more competitive and more inclusive. And it’s just the beginning.
 
The Momentum Express tour wasn’t just an event—it was a visual blueprint of Montgomery’s strategic direction. From the booming industrial park to classrooms training the next generation of skilled workers, the day reflected a community united in vision and action.
 
Montgomery’s investment in dual enrollment, career tech, and cross-sector collaboration is laying the foundation for something bigger than workforce readiness, it’s building a resilient regional economy powered by local talent.
 
Stay engaged as the Chamber continues to connect education and industry, strengthen the talent pipeline, and drive economic momentum for all.


See Photos from The Momentum Express Tour Here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCngHF