Alabama Extension helps people to be successful in life. The community resource development (CRD) programs enable youths and adults to explore their career and educational goals, which puts them on the right track to a rewarding career, even as an entrepreneur. In addition, the CRD team is blazing new trails in entrepreneurship as the first Cooperative Extension program in the nation to become certified entrepreneurship educators through the Council on Adult Basic Education.

Career Countdown

Career Countdown connects participants to their interests, skills, and abilities that can help formulate a career path. The program also guides them in developing an educational plan to reach their career goals. Career Countdown is offered in both single-session and multi-session formats.

Filing for Success

Filing for Success is a four-part series on forming a small business in Alabama. The program covers licensing, limited liability companies or LLCs, banking, insurance, record keeping, and taxes.

GoGetter (New)

Go-Getter is a free on-demand educational series for Alabama residents. The program offers workforce credentials or entrepreneurship strategies that participants can complete on any digital device.

Small Business Cafe

The Small Business Café is an online learning and networking community that provides introductory-level small business education, such as business marketing, capital access, and budgets. As a Facebook group member, current or aspiring business owners can stay up-to-date on business and learning opportunities. It also allows members to network with other Alabama entrepreneurs and ask questions about their business challenges.

2024 Program Impacts

• 8,729 direct and indirect programming contacts were made in 2024.

Career Countdown

• A total of 768 individuals participated in Career Countdown in 2024. Upon completing the program, participants had a more realistic idea of how much they must earn annually to maintain a household. Expectations started as low as $10K annually and ended as high as $80K or more a year.
• 59 percent (275 of 466) of Career Countdown survey respondents believed they would need more education after high school for their career. This increased to 63% (195 of 310) of respondents who believed they would need additional education to reach career goals.
• 63 percent (314 of 499) of Career Countdown respondents believed they would need to use a budget to manage their money as adults.
• 61 percent (304 of 499) of survey respondents will choose high school courses based on their career choice. This percentage increased to 68 percent among 262 of 386 survey respondents.
• 83 percent (396 of 477) of survey respondents reported learning about new career options of interest in the post-survey.

Filing for Success

• 135 individuals completed the Filing for Success Series, providing a pathway for each to register their business with appropriate local, state, and federal entities, while increasing their knowledge of business regulations, taxes, and insurance.

Small Business Cafe

• 1,693 individuals engaged with Small Business Cafe content on LinkedIn.
• 308 individuals joined the Small Business Cafe Facebook Group.

Alabama Extension’s community resource development programs enable Alabamians to lay a solid foundation for success in school, in a job or career, or as an entrepreneur, becoming viable contributors to Alabama’s growing economy.

For More Information

For more information about community resource development programs, please consult Terence Norwood at (256) 372-5023.