DAPHNE — Bradley Byrne, chancellor of the Alabama Post-Secondary Education System, spoke Friday on developing the workforce.

Byrne, at a luncheon with community leaders, discussed three key missions of the two-year college system: college transfer, adult education and workforce development.

Not everyone is ready to attend a university after having graduated high school; and some lack the financial resources to do so, Byrne said at the luncheon, which was sponsored by the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce. Also, tuition at a two-year college, on average, is half that of a four-year college.

For these reasons, the two-year system is a good starting point for some people, he said.

However, he added, community colleges need to emphasize adult education.

Two-year colleges cater to adults of about 27 years old who realize they need more skills to stay competitive, he said.

Workforce development is critical, Byrne said. Students must have the skills to keep up with the industries, he said.

Alabama’s two-year college system comprises 82 instructional sites with more than 284,000 students, according to Byrne.

Lessons taught at each college should correspond to industry in the area, Byrne said.

For instance, Bishop State Community College in Mobile will soon have a marine sciences center that reflects the area’s ship-building industry, Byrne said.

Alabama is creating opportunities for the workforce that have not existed before, said Byrne, who recently resigned his seat from the state Senate.

As long as Alabama can deliver the workforce, industries will continue courting the state, Byrne said, referring to businesses such as ThyssenKrupp, Austal and BMW.

Over the past year, the state has had 100 new and expanding businesses. Within 12 to 15 months, Austal will be the largest ship-building company on the Gulf Coast, according to Byrne.

Toward the end his presentation, Byrne expressed an optimistic view about future developments.

“We will have a golden age in this area that we have never had,” Byrne said.