This week’s “News & Notes” articles come from three cities
This week’s items come from Chattanooga, Cookeville and Nashville.
From Chattanooga:
- Tasia Malakasis, the recently named Chief Executive Officer of CO.LAB, was featured by WUTC-FM on its “Scenic Roots” podcast series that “offers conversations that matter in the heart of Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley.” In her case, the segment is focused on scaling start-ups for the future. Click here to listen.
- The Enterprise Center has announced that anyone in Hamilton County interested in improving their digital skills (for career advancement or personal development) can benefit from “Tech Goes Home Chattanooga’s” (TGH) free Office Ready or Computer Basics courses, and applications are open for late summer and fall classes. Classes begin on Wednesday for the latter course with a second round beginning in October, while Office Ready courses, which focus on job readiness, have two enrollment options in September and December. Participants for any TGH program receive 15 hours of classroom training with the option to purchase a new Chromebook or tablet for only $50 (upon completion of the course) and receive assistance in obtaining access to low-cost home internet.
From Cookeville:
- Tennessee Tech University (TTU) hosted the first-ever “Upper Cumberland Economic Development Summit” last week, featuring keynote speakers Representative Ryan Williams, House Representative John Rose and Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton. According to this news release issued by the university, TTU President Phil Oldham told attendees, “The most important ingredient in the recipe for economic development is talent and that’s why we at Tennessee Tech often say that higher education is an interesting business where the customer and the product are the same thing. Students are served as our customers, but they also become our products. That talent that is produced is so vitally important in driving the economies of the region and serving the state.” In addition to government leaders, the one and a half day-summit gave participants the chance to hear from experts in the community discussing topics such as education and workforce development, business resources, rural development, funding and financing and tourism.
- Speaking of TTU, the Upper Cumberland Business Journal reports that the local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is working closely with TTU to recruit interns. Designed to offer skilled support to local businesses, the program also provides students with practical work experience, growth and development opportunities. Participating businesses will receive, at no cost, skilled interns who will receive work experience that directly aligns with their academic background or career goals. Businesses will complete an onboarding questionnaire to determine the need and scope of the project, areas of deficit, and goals for student interns.
From Nashville:
- The Greater Nashville Technology Council has been recognized by the Technology Councils of North America (TECNA) for its efforts to develop innovative workforce or talent pipeline initiatives. In an news release last week, TECNA announced that it had presented the “Talent Pipeline and Workforce Development” to the organization. The award is one of seven made by the association that represents approximately 60 technology associations across the U.S. and Canada.
- The State of Tennessee and the State of North Carolina are the first two recipients in the history of Area Development magazine’s annual recognition program to earn a “Platinum Shovel Award.” Announced in June, the awards were presented in recognition of each state’s post-pandemic economic recovery, which successfully attracted high-value investment projects that will generate a significant number of jobs. It is the Volunteer State’s 13th shovel award since 2006.
- Registration is now open for the annual “Governor’s Conference on Economic and Community Development. “The event is set for September 19 and 20 at the Omni Nashville Hotel. To register, click here.
