Building a Stronger Workforce Through Connection, Understanding & Cultural Exchange

Workforce development isn’t just about filling a position. It’s about building a community where people can work, connect, contribute, and feel like they belong.

This summer, the South Baldwin Chamber and Foundation’s Community Workforce efforts took another step forward through two events focused on an important part of our local workforce: international students who come to South Baldwin County through the J-1 Summer Work Travel program.

Through the Summer Work Travel Community Forum and J-1 Exchange Day, we brought together employers, community partners, local leaders, and international students with a shared goal: creating a stronger experience for everyone involved.

Supporting the Employer

The Summer Work Travel Community Forum, held August 5, gave local employers an opportunity to better understand the program as they prepare for the next peak season.

The forum connected businesses with experts and resources to discuss the fundamentals of the Summer Work Travel program, federal expectations, compliance, payroll and tax processes, and best practices for supporting international students in the workplace and community.

For businesses that rely on seasonal employees, these students can help meet peak-season workforce needs—particularly in a tourism-driven community like South Baldwin County.

But successful participation requires more than simply hiring someone. It requires employers and community partners to understand the program, communicate expectations, provide appropriate support, and create an environment where students can succeed.

Supporting the Student

That same philosophy carried into our J-1 Exchange Day at Gulf State Park Lake Shelby, where Summer Work Travel participants were invited to step away from the workplace and experience the community they are spending their summer helping serve.

• 

• 

• 

The free community event gave students a chance to connect with fellow participants, meet local community members, enjoy food and activities, and celebrate the cultural exchange at the heart of the program. That’s an important part of the story, and it can sometimes get lost.

There’s More to the J-1 Story

If you’ve heard the term “J-1” or “international summer workers,” you may have also heard questions or assumptions about why these students are here. So, let’s talk about what the program actually represents.

These students don’t simply arrive in South Baldwin County looking for jobs. They choose to participate in an international cultural exchange program, cover travel and participation costs, and spend part of their summer experiencing life in another country while taking part in authorized seasonal employment. They aren’t simply coming here for a job.

They are here because they want to experience American culture, meet people from different backgrounds, develop personally and professionally, and experience a community they may have never otherwise had the opportunity to visit. And South Baldwin County benefits from that exchange, too.

Our peak tourism season creates an enormous demand for employees. The Summer Work Travel program helps businesses supplement their seasonal workforce during one of the busiest times of the year while giving international university students the opportunity to experience our community firsthand.

It’s a workforce solution, but it’s also a cultural exchange.

Why Community Support Matters

That’s where Community Workforce Development comes in. What happens outside of the workplace matters. A student who understands the community they’re living in, knows where to find resources, feels welcomed, and has opportunities to connect with local people is more likely to have a positive experience here.

And a community that takes the time to understand these students is better positioned to see them for what they really are: young people who chose South Baldwin County as part of an international experience.

Think about it from a workforce perspective. Wouldn’t any employee be more likely to become a great ambassador for a place where they felt welcomed, appreciated, and connected?

That is the opportunity in front of us.

By creating opportunities for employers to learn, students to connect, and community members to better understand the program, we can replace assumptions with information and create a more welcoming environment for everyone.

Workforce Development Looks Different for Everyone

No single solution fits workforce development. Sometimes it means connecting a student with a career pathway. Sometimes it means helping an employer understand how to recruit and retain talent. And sometimes it means simply creating a place where someone who has traveled thousands of miles from home can feel welcomed in the community where they will spend their summer.

Our J-1 initiatives are one small piece of a much larger workforce strategy for South Baldwin County. We are grateful to the employers who open their doors, the community partners who help make these programs possible, and especially to our Workforce Sponsors, whose investment allows the South Baldwin Chamber Foundation to continue creating programs that connect people, businesses, and opportunities.

When we invest in the people who strengthen our workforce, we invest in the future of our entire community. And sometimes, workforce development looks a lot like simply making sure someone knows they’re welcome here.

We are especially grateful to our Community Workforce Sponsors, whose investment makes initiatives like these possible and allows us to keep creating opportunities that strengthen South Baldwin County’s workforce and community.