There are more than 11,000 jobs in the auto industry across Alabama that the state’s workforce development agency would like to help fill.

That’s the impetus behind a campaign to grow this employment sector across automakers and their suppliers.

The “Shift” campaign, crafted by Birmingham-based Big Communications, is reaching beyond Alabama to potential workers around the Southeast who may be seeking their first jobs, or better ones.

It’s the aim of Ed Castile, director of the state’s job training system, AIDT.

“The Shift campaign’s No. 1 goal is to get people interested in automotive jobs, even those people who already have jobs,” Castile said. “We think when they see the possibilities, it will grab their interest enough for them to consider a career in the auto industry.”

Potential workers can visit the shiftinalabama.com website, which allows them to apply for open positions. It also has salary and benefits information.

A quick look at the website reveals open positions in Vance, Tuskegee, Montgomery, Huntsville, Madison, Lincoln and elsewhere. For some positions, a college education is not required, though some manufacturing experience may be needed.

According to the Alabama Department Commerce, more than a million people have already been reached by the campaign, with thousands of applications made.

Alabama has about 47,000 direct auto industry jobs as of May, according to the Alabama Department of Labor, with 21,300 of those jobs in auto assembly plants, an increase of 2,200 in one year. Last year, the state’s automakers put about 1 million vehicles on the road.

Alabama is home to plants for Mercedes, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota and Mazda, with more than 150 suppliers throughout the state. The automakers contribute about $12.6 billion in economic activity, according to Autos Drive America, an industry organization.

“Alabama’s automakers are forging ahead with ambitious growth strategies, with innovations that signal promising futures for their products, employees and the communities they call home,” Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield said.