Manufacture Alabama

Feb. 06, 2019

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@una.edu, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Brooks McClendon | (334) 386-3000 |brooks@manufacturealabama.org Bryan Rachal | (256) 765-4392 |brachal@una.edu Affordable higher education degrees offered through Manufacture Alabama, University of North Alabama partnership MONTGOMERY, AL(February 6, 2019) - Manufacture Alabama (MA) and the University of North Alabama (UNA) jointly announced the launch of a new partnership that will offer increased access to higher education for manufacturers throughout the state. With the newly formed partnership, employees of Manufacture Alabama-member companies are eligible to receive a special scholarship directly from UNA. The partnership is intended to provide additional opportunities to manufacturers to complete their higher education degrees or gain important training and certifications. It will also provide employers with an affordable in-state option to groom current employees for future leadership roles. "The University of North Alabama is pleased to partner with Manufacture Alabama to offer an array of degree options to its members. UNA is dedicated to workforce development and educational attainment throughout the state," said Dr. Ross Alexander, UNA vice president for Academic Affairs and provost. "This partnership with UNA, a four-year institution, represents one of the last remaining pieces of MA's commitment to education and workforce development in Alabama," said Manufacture Alabama President George Clark. "So much of our time and resources have historically been dedicated to the community college system, K through 12 and other programs. Now we are expanding the ability of manufacturers to go on to earn the highest levels of education, and not just in north Alabama, but throughout the state through UNA's online offerings." The scholarship amount to be awarded will be 20 percent of the course's tuition and fee value, and any of UNA's online or traditional graduate or undergraduate courses are available under the scholarship's provisions. The only requirements for eligibility are that the scholarship recipient must be employed by an MA-member company and must have at least one year of full-time employment history with that company. Manufacture Alabama Manufacture Alabama is a leading trade association in Alabama and is the only trade association in the state dedicated exclusively to the competitive, legislative, regulatory and operational interests and needs of manufacturers and their partner industries and businesses.www.manufacturealabama.organdwww.manufacturealabama.org/p/resources/ma-member-employee-scholarship The University of North Alabama The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs through the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Sciences, and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Tuscumbia, Sheffield and Muscle Shoals. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of the NCAA Division I's ASUN and Big South Conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age or national origin.www.una.eduandwww.una.edu/unaworks/