Gateway Training Academy
The Gateway Training Academy (GTA) brings world-class training and process improvement opportunities to small and large businesses, and across a variety of industry sectors.
Training Partners
Through Gateway’s Training Academy, our education and training partners can offer you a wide variety of business solutions. Newly promoted staff and veterans alike will benefit from enrollment in programs such as DiSC Communication, AIDT Leadership Skills I-III, The Power of Culture, Problem Solving & Critical Thinking, and many more.
Gateway has partnered with Columbia Southern University to develop rapid-delivery micro-credentials for the managers of your business. Micro-Credentials target specific skill sets tailored to your business needs giving you the power to prepare your team members for success. Credential courses will begin in the fall of 2022 and include certificates in Supervisory Leadership, Professional Communication, Hospitality & Tourism, Financial Management, and Marketing.
In May of 2021, ACCS requested the assistance of Gateway to write the curriculum for their first out of 23 industry training program
Grant Opportunities Available
The Gateway team has access to a number of grant opportunities to assist businesses with the cost of training. Gateway will write grants on behalf of businesses either on an open-enrollment basis (with multiple businesses attending) or for training specifically for a business's employees. Training is offered for line-level, supervisory, or leadership positions.
Alabama Workforce Stabilization Planning Grant (AWSP) Opportunities
The Gateway Initiative is currently working with 12 South Baldwin Businesses, one tourism
organization, and one municipality on no-cost training opportunities for employees. The
Alabama Workforce Stabilization Grant (AWSP) provides training dollars to businesses and
organizations in six key industry sectors including Hospitality, Health Care, IT, Transportation &
Logistics, Construction, and Advanced Manufacturing. The original award to the state was $17
million and there is still more than $10 million available between now and October of 2023.
“The process is quite simple compared to many of our grant applications through the state, said Ed Bushaw of Gateway. “We meet with businesses, identify training needs to upskill employees
or develop staffing pipelines, identify the training resource and work with our state partners to
write the grant. To date, all grants submitted have been approved”.
Municipalities and other government agencies can apply for the grants as well. The Gateway
team recently met with Beth Gendler, President & CEO of Gulf Shores / Orange Beach Tourism.
“After meeting with Ed Bushaw and having conversations about management and coaching
training that some of our staff requested, he indicated there were grants available through the
AWSP for Technical Training through the Auburn business college,” said Gendler. “He
scheduled a meeting for us to meet and discuss our needs, goals, and outcome objectives for
both the manager and coaching training as well as some advanced Strategic Deployment
initiatives. I am waiting for a proposal and start time from the Auburn group. I am so excited
about the opportunity this will provide our team to become even more effective in carrying out
our mission and commitment.” She continued, “This is just one benefit of many in being a
Gateway Initiative investor.”
The Gateway team is working with all types of organizations on these grant opportunities, and welcomes the opportunity to meet with your business or organization to identify opportunities for these dollars.
CSU began with a notepad, business cards and $25. Join us again this week for the incredible story of courage and endurance that made Columbia Southern University what it is today.