More information released about “East Tennessee Works” initiative
The program's goal is to place 5,000 East Tennesseans on the path to good jobs in the green economy, with a flexible, scalable approach.
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) has released more details about a recent grant that it was awarded to lead “East Tennessee Works” (ETW), an initiative that will help bridge employers and job seekers in advanced manufacturing and green construction industries (see original teknovation.biz post here).
According to a UTK news release, East Tennessee Works intends to place 5,000 East Tennesseans on the path to good jobs in the green economy, with a flexible, scalable approach. The team will be led by Sociology Professor Jon Shefner, along with Stephanie Bohon, Head of the Department of Sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Associate Professor Mitsunori Misawa from the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences.
The grant will allow UT to act as a labor market intermediary, connecting employers, workers, training programs, labor organizations, and community-based groups offering essential services like transportation and childcare.
The grant builds on ongoing efforts to integrate academic excellence with community service to prepare students and local residents for the high-demand jobs of today and tomorrow.
“We will be funding many of these organizations that provide these services,” said Shefner. “We’ll be bringing them together in ways that help recruit potential workers, and we will be reaching out to industry to find out what their hiring possibilities are, their specific needs and how to bring them together with the newly trained, newly skilled folks.”
East Tennessee Works will focus on underrepresented workers in the green economy and address the growing demand for skilled labor as job roles evolve.
According to Shefner, many individuals are either underemployed, working multiple low-paying jobs or not fully utilizing their skills. With proper training, they can transition into positions that offer $30 or more per hour, with benefits and opportunities for advancement, he added.
The university has been working with organizations in Knox, Anderson, and Campbell Counties, including:
- TELOS Global, a manufacturer in Caryville that provides parts for electric vehicles;
- Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development, a nonprofit in East Knoxville that provides career training and is building energy-efficient homes for low-income families;
- Community Organizations Networking Neighborhoods Encouraging Change Together Ministries, better known as C.O.N.N.E.C.T Ministries; and
- A local labor council of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.
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