Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly today announced his appointment to the Tennessee State Workforce Development Board, which provides leadership and guidance on workforce development strategies that promote economic growth and vitality for the state.
Appointed by the Governor, the 33 board members represent a diverse group of business and labor leaders, education and economic development specialists, and government representatives. Mayor Kelly will serve as the only city mayor on the board.
“As mayor, I’m focused every day on creating new career paths and skill-building opportunities to prepare our local workforce for success in our growing and evolving economy, and I’m honored that Governor Lee has appointed me to the State Workforce Development Board to support that work” said Mayor Kelly. “Workforce development is the single most important policy issue we work on at the City, because it is the most important strategy we have to close the gaps in our community.”
“Training a highly skilled workforce not only means better paying jobs for residents, but it also attracts new industries to Chattanooga, creating a virtuous cycle that can lift whole neighborhoods out of poverty over time,” continued Mayor Kelly. “I’m looking forward to working with the board to continue building a world-class workforce for Tennessee.”
The board was established to oversee Tennessee’s workforce development system, consisting of a series of programs and initiatives funded primarily through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Serving hundreds of thousands of Tennesseeans each year, WIOA programs help job seekers access the education and training they need to succeed – and support the competitive positioning of Tennessee businesses in a rapidly changing global economy, officials said.
Among multiple duties, the State Workforce Development Board is responsible for:
• Developing local allocation formulas and accountability measures for WIOA programming;
• Recommending technology-based strategies to improve one-stop-shop workforce development services; and
• Identifying best practices for business partnerships and training programs that respond to real-time labor market changes.
Mayor Kelly will be formally welcomed to the board during their regularly scheduled meeting today in Nashville.