The Upper Cumberland Workforce Development Board strengthening the regional talent pipelines by connecting education providers, employers, and job seekers.
Executive Director Ryan Barnhart said the organization manages federal and state funding to support career pathways for residents. Barnhart said they want to address labor shortages and skill gaps across 14 counties.
“We have to have title partners on the board, things of that nature to make sure that we have the right partners at the table so that we know what the needs of our employers are in the Upper Cumberland,” Barnhart said. “We also know how to get the folks to that need the help.”
Barnhart said the board also focuses on helping displaced workers who have lost their jobs due to company closures. The organization provides resources for these individuals to transition into technical schools, four-year colleges, or new positions within the workforce.
“I think honestly we’re one of the best-kept secrets of the Upper Cumberland and I’m trying to change that,” Barnhart said. “I’m trying to make sure people know about who we are, that’s why I appreciate you very much and reaching out to me and getting this chance to tell people.”
Barnhart said the board consists of approximately 23 members representing educational institutions, local businesses, and community partners.
Barnhart said the board utilizes specialized grants to provide career exploration tools for young people between the ages of 16 and 24. One federal initiative, known as the Rivet Grant, uses virtual reality technology to allow students to experience different industries before committing to specific training programs.
“When a business or a company in the Upper Cumberland has to close down and people lose their jobs, it’s our, we step in there and make sure that those individuals that had jobs are able to find the right places to go, whether that be to a technical school, whether that be to a four-year college, or whether they go directly back into the workforce somewhere else,” Barnhart said. “Those are the individuals that we try to help as well as, say, a young person who doesn’t know what career they want.”
Barnhart said the board is currently addressing high turnover rates in entry-level positions by working with companies to upskill their existing staff. This strategy allows employees to pursue short-term credentials and advance within their current companies rather than seeking new employment elsewhere.
“Good loyal employees don’t, we’re finding with this generation now, a lot of people don’t want to stay in just one job, they want to just keep moving around,” Barnhart said. “And so there’s opportunities to do that through short-term credentialing and that’s what we’re looking at a lot to help people to know, hey, you don’t have to go somewhere else to work, you can stay where you’re at and you can move up in these different paths.”
