Ala. Code § 25-2-3

(a) The Secretary of Workforce, with the approval of the Governor, may establish such division or divisions as, in his or her discretion, may be necessary or desirable for the administration or enforcement of any law or any rule or regulations with which the Department of Workforce is charged or the performance of any of its functions or duties. Each division in the Department of Workforce shall be headed by and be under the direction, supervision, and control of an officer who shall be designated as the chief of such division. All chiefs of divisions shall be appointed by the Secretary of Workforce, subject to the Merit System. Before entering upon the discharge of their duties, the chiefs of divisions shall take the constitutional oath of office. Each of the officers shall devote his or her full time to his or her official duties and shall hold no other lucrative position while serving as such.

(b) In addition to any other exempt positions allowed by law, the department shall have three additional exempt positions. The division employees serving in the exempt service shall not be subject to the Merit System or receive Merit System benefits, and their compensation shall be determined by the secretary.

(c) It is one of the purposes of this chapter to coordinate in a single Unemployment Compensation Division all of the state’s unemployment compensation services. Unemployment compensation services shall be in one division of the Department of Workforce under the direction of the chief of the division. The salary of the division chief may be paid from federal grants and shall be comparable to those paid similar officers in comparable states, notwithstanding any limitation or maximum in any other law. The secretary may employ personnel who shall serve in the classified service of the Merit System to carry out the duties of this division.

(d) It is another purpose of this chapter to coordinate in a single Workforce Pathways Division, all of the department’s workforce development functions and workforce funding mechanisms, including the Alabama Workforce Board; the regional workforce boards; the Employment Service and Alabama Career Center System; the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship; the Alabama STEM Council; the Office of Education and Workforce Statistics; programs funded by Title I of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act; the Alabama Committee on Credentialing and Career Pathways; the Alabama Committee on Credential Quality and Transparency; the Workforce and Labor Market Information Grants for states grant program and the Labor Market Division; the Federal Bonding Program; the federal Jobs for Veterans State Grants Program; and the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit. The secretary may employ a division chief of the Workforce Pathways Division who shall serve in the exempt service. The secretary may employ personnel who shall serve in the classified service of the Merit System to carry out the duties of this division. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Workforce Pathways Division of the Department of Workforce serve as the centralized data and information repository for the workforce development activities of the state.