NASHVILLE, TN, June 3, 2021 — The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and Nashville State Community College have launched a two-month long marketing campaign called “You Deserve More” to promote an IT career pathway for interested individuals. The campaign is focusing on driving interest to Nashville State’s Computer Programming Technical Certificate which can be earned in a flexible self-paced environment and provides a baseline level of knowledge.
This program is part of a $250,000 grant from JPMorgan Chase & Co. announced in May 2019. The grant is focused on building competency-based education (CBE) courses aimed at advancing all adults, and specifically targeting those living in Nashville’s Promise Zone, toward careers in information technology. Grant partners include the Chamber as the grant administrator, Lipscomb University as a resource to train instructors and staff on CBE through a specialized design institute, and Nashville State and Columbia State Community College as education delivery partners.
Competency based education offers students an online environment to complete a degree or credential at their own pace. The format is meant to remove barriers to higher education. Learning basic IT skills will position students to secure an introductory-level role that can lead to further career opportunities and advancement.
“Nashville State Community College prepares today’s students to be future leaders in their chosen industry field,” said Dr. Shanna L. Jackson, president of Nashville State. “As a workforce solutions partner, we will continue to seek innovative ways to make sure our employers have skilled professionals and our students lasting careers.”
The 2020 Middle Tennessee Workforce Study stated that job growth in the region grew 25 percent from 2009 to 2018 while tech job growth was 47 percent. By 2028, the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area projects overall job growth of 16 percent, while tech jobs are anticipated to grow by 22 percent. With entry-level salaries for IT professionals averaging $55,000 per year, this field is extremely lucrative with a high potential for career growth.
“We are grateful to JPMorgan Chase Foundation for this investment to innovatively upskill our workforce,” said Laura Ward, the Chamber’s senior vice president of Talent Development. “IT continues to be one of the fastest growing career pathways. By connecting talent to training, and then to good paying jobs, the pipeline is strengthened and we are connecting our neighbors to family-sustaining wages and opportunities for career growth.”
To learn more about the Computer Programming Technical Certificate, visit nscc.edu/tech.
Additional opportunities will be available through Columbia State Community College in early 2022.
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About Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce is Middle Tennessee’s largest business federation, representing more than 2,000 member companies. Belong, engage, lead, prosper embodies the Chamber’s focus on creating economic prosperity by facilitating community leadership. Established in 1990 as an economic development and community enhancement initiative of the Chamber, Partnership 2030 is a regional cooperative dedicated to making Middle Tennessee among the nation’s best places to live, work and do business. Partnership 2030 is supported by a diverse group of public and private companies as well as governmental agencies from the organization’s 10-county service area. The work of the Chamber is supported by its members, Partnership 2030 investors and sponsors; the Chamber’s Pivotal Partners (a partnership at the highest level for all Chamber programs and events) are Bass, Berry & Sims, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Community Health Systems, Gresham Smith and Regions. For more information, visit www.nashvillechamber.com.
