TNWorks

TNWorks is ready to support businesses on day one by identifying and coordinating resources, Thomas said. 

“Each time we get a project, it’s important for us to all come together to align and sequencing our services in such a way that businesses know that once they announce, that the workforce plan is in action — not down the road but right away,” she said.

That collaborative support is a huge selling point for companies, said Deputy Governor Stuart C. McWhorter, the Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development. 

“They want to make sure that they have a skilled workforce in place the day they turn the lights on, whenever they roll out the first product, whatever it is,” McWhorter said. “I think it’s going to just give us another very competitive advantage to what we do in recruiting.”

TNWorks was created in part to address concerns from businesses that were receiving multiple solutions from multiple people at multiple departments. 

“Now we have a certain set of players, everybody has the same playbook, and we all know when to execute,” Thomas said. 

Education and Training Are Key

TNWorks operates by leveraging the resources and expertise of six state agencies. If an issue falls outside one department’s wheelhouse, it can coordinate with another one to ensure employers receive the full scope of services. 

“Not everybody has to play expert, but we also know when to tag our partners to come in and kind of add on,” Thomas said. “So there’s this continuum of high level of service and optimization for business and industry.”

For example, while TDLWD funds some workforce training programs, it doesn’t handle the training itself. That critical work falls to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) and Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR).

THEC coordinates and provides guidance to higher education institutions in the state, ensuring they prepare students for success by offering in-demand skills and training.  

“When higher education is at the table, we can ensure that the degrees, the programs, the curriculum that our institutions are providing directly align with the workforce needs of today and of tomorrow,” said Dr. Steven Gentile, THEC’s Executive Director. 

TBR oversees 13 community colleges as well as 23 colleges of applied technology, or TCATs, which have been expanding at a rapid pace thanks to a $1 billion investment from Gov. Bill Lee’s administration. 

TCAT design plans include flex spaces that allow prospective and existing businesses to train their workers on new equipment and processes, said Dr. Jeff Sisk, TBR’s Executive Director of the Center for Workforce Development. 

“This will not be the TCATs of your parents and grandparents,” Sisk said. 

Visit the TNWorks website to learn more.

Commissioner Deniece Thomas, center, and staffers with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development celebrate the successful launch of TNWorks. (Photo by Madison Bumpus / TDLWD)