The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce will serve as the lead partner in overseeing the implementation of a $200,000 grant from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to support adults interested in completing their postsecondary degree or credential. Middle Tennessee will serve as one of three Tennessee Reconnect Communities (TRC) providing adult learners with free advising, career counseling, support and a personalized path to and through college completion. The TRC grant provides additional resources to support the Lumina Community Partnership for Attainment grant the Chamber received last year to advance adult postsecondary education attainment.
Through TRC, the Chamber will be the backbone of a partnership that includes businesses, workforce development organizations, colleges, applied technology centers and many other stakeholders in connecting adults to postsecondary completion and, ultimately, success in the workforce. Our goal is to establish a source adults can go to in order to chart a path to greater skill, knowledge and prosperity.
The counties served by the Middle Tennessee grant include Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Maury, Montgomery, Rutherford, Sumner and Williamson.
The TRC program is based on a model developed by the nonprofit The Graduate! Network, which brings together stakeholders from different segments of the local economy to develop innovative strategies for improving college attainment among adults. More than 200,000 adults in Middle Tennessee have some postsecondary education, but not enough to qualify for a degree or certification. The TRC initiative will play a significant role in sustaining the economic growth our region has enjoyed. For more information on the TRC program, contact me.
