Rutherford County Schools Partner With Key Industries To Meet Workforce Needs

ISTOCK.COM/FG TRADE 

In Rutherford County, collaboration is the secret sauce fueling workforce development efforts. Rutherford Works, a division of the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, has created Industry Councils in partnership with Rutherford County Schools. These councils develop a seamless talent pipeline to meet the demands of the county’s five key industries: advanced manufacturing, health care, IT, construction and supply chain. 

This dynamic partnership brings businesses and educators to the same table, crafting programs that go beyond the classroom and equip students with real-world skills. 

“With the growth in Rutherford County, we were facing some workforce challenges and needed a plan. We knew we had to develop a strategy for optimizing our future workforce. A big part of that strategy is better aligning our educational system with our fastest growing industry sectors,” says Greg Jones, senior vice president of education and workforce development for the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce. “The industry councils allow us to have direct conversations with business leaders about what skills they need today and in the future. It’s about being proactive rather than reactive when it comes to workforce development.” 

The councils are facilitated by industry leaders who work with the schools and career and technical education instructors to host career fairs, offer work-based learning opportunities and develop certification programs that will keep a pipeline of talent flowing to local businesses. 

For example, Rutherford County is home to a strong manufacturing sector, with companies such as Nissan leading the way. The Advanced Manufacturing Council works to ensure that students and job seekers have access to the latest training in automation, robotics and precision machining. 

With the county’s rapid expansion, the Construction Council is addressing the increasing demand for skilled workers in fields such as carpentry, electrical work and HVAC, and the Health Care Council focuses on ensuring that Rutherford County has the nurses, technicians and medical support staff needed to serve the community. 

“What we try to do is get into the K-12 schools and give them exposure to careers they might not think about. We expose them to careers in health care, construction, supply chain or advanced manufacturing. Many times they say ‘Wow, I didn’t know I could do that,’” Jones says. “Then, if we can get them excited about the career path and get them pushed into that pathway in high school, by the time they graduate, we have someone who is trained in that field and can go right into that industry. That keeps them in the community, fulfilling our local industry’s workforce needs.”