19 min
16 Connecting Rural Development Strategies and Resources with guests Joe T. Wood and Jim Tracy Ready for Work
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- Careers
Rural America is facing some incredible challenges. When rural students graduate high school many of them move away to urban areas. The up-and-coming generation tends to overlook their opportunities in rural areas. This hurts the economy of local communities, including those in Southwest Tennessee.
The Southwest Tennessee Rural Workforce Readiness Collaborative is working to reverse this problem. By building a comprehensive approach to help bridge the skills gap, they’re beginning to show students the opportunities around them for meaningful employment in great-paying careers—like manufacturing and construction—and then providing the path.
In order to strengthen the workforce across four rural counties, the collaborative pursued—and received—a first-of-its-kind $250,000 grant from the USDA. It will likely serve as a national model for similar programs across the nation seeking to build on the success of ACT® Work Ready Communities and generate investment in the talent pipeline.
On this episode of Ready for Work, we’re joined by Joe T. Wood and Jim Tracy. They discuss the importance of workforce development in rural areas, the technology that the USDA’s grant is making possible, the implementation of ACT programs, and what’s happening next.
Join the Conversation
Jim Tracy Twitter: @JimTracy
Joe T. Wood LinkedIn: Joe T Wood
Jasen Jones Twitter: @JasenCJones
ACT Twitter: @act
ACT Workforce Solutions: LinkedIn
Resources
Presentation from Joe T. Wood and Jim Tracy at ACT Workforce Summit
USDA Rural Development grant to Tennessee Board of Regents will assist workforce readiness in Chester, Decatur, Henderson & Perry counties
Tennessee School Board Association Career Cluster Dashboard
USDA Rural Community Development Initiative
ACT WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate® (NCRC®)
ACT Work Ready Communities
ACT Workforce Solutions
Rural America is facing some incredible challenges. When rural students graduate high school many of them move away to urban areas. The up-and-coming generation tends to overlook their opportunities in rural areas. This hurts the economy of local communities, including those in Southwest Tennessee.
The Southwest Tennessee Rural Workforce Readiness Collaborative is working to reverse this problem. By building a comprehensive approach to help bridge the skills gap, they’re beginning to show students the opportunities around them for meaningful employment in great-paying careers—like manufacturing and construction—and then providing the path.
In order to strengthen the workforce across four rural counties, the collaborative pursued—and received—a first-of-its-kind $250,000 grant from the USDA. It will likely serve as a national model for similar programs across the nation seeking to build on the success of ACT® Work Ready Communities and generate investment in the talent pipeline.
On this episode of Ready for Work, we’re joined by Joe T. Wood and Jim Tracy. They discuss the importance of workforce development in rural areas, the technology that the USDA’s grant is making possible, the implementation of ACT programs, and what’s happening next.
Join the Conversation
Jim Tracy Twitter: @JimTracy
Joe T. Wood LinkedIn: Joe T Wood
Jasen Jones Twitter: @JasenCJones
ACT Twitter: @act
ACT Workforce Solutions: LinkedIn
Resources
Presentation from Joe T. Wood and Jim Tracy at ACT Workforce Summit
USDA Rural Development grant to Tennessee Board of Regents will assist workforce readiness in Chester, Decatur, Henderson & Perry counties
Tennessee School Board Association Career Cluster Dashboard
USDA Rural Community Development Initiative
ACT WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate® (NCRC®)
ACT Work Ready Communities
ACT Workforce Solutions
19 min