.jpg)
In Touch with Tennessee
In Touch with Tennessee
The Future of Work Is Here, and Tennessee Is Rising to Meet It
The workplace is changing at breakneck speed, and Tennessee is actively responding to these shifts through innovative workforce development initiatives. This eye-opening conversation with workforce experts Tim Waldo and Autumn Derrick from the University of Tennessee's Center for Industrial Services reveals both encouraging progress and persistent challenges in our evolving labor market.
Contact Tim: tim.waldo@tennessee.edu
Contact Autumn: autumn.derrick@tennessee.edu
For more information:
https://cis.tennessee.edu/economic-development
Hi and welcome to In Touch with Tennessee, a podcast of the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service. Joining us today to talk about workforce trends and workforce development from our Center for Industrial Services are workforce development consultant Autumn Workforce Consultant Tim Waldo. Thank you both for being here today.
Speaker 2:Thank you, Susan, for having us.
Speaker 3:Thank you, Susan.
Speaker 1:So, tim, can you start out by discussing the state of workforce in the US, and in Tennessee specifically?
Speaker 3:Sure. Even with some economic headwinds, the US job market remains very strong, and that's true here in Tennessee as well. In several industries there have been growth in employment. Here in Tennessee, the unemployment rate stands at around three to three and a half percent, and the labor force participation rate has improved by about two percentage points this year. That being said, our people still face some significant challenges. You know, the pace of change is probably the most significant of those. It's difficult for people to upskill in order to keep up, because technologies are changing the workplace almost daily.
Speaker 3:And learning how to apply these new tools takes time, so that challenge will require some high intensity and intentionality from all of our workforce development stakeholders. Other things like cultural and social forces are impacting both the workforce and those trying to build great workplaces.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 3:Ideas about work and how it fits into life are shaping the interaction between workers and employers, and both parties are going to need to work together to find a path forward. On the development side, tennessee has done a great job of attracting and retaining businesses, so the labor market is strong, and the state has invested in workforce development initiatives to help fill the talent pipeline. But that work is never-ending as challenges of its own. Just again, keeping pace with the change as we train new workers and upskill the existing workforces is a challenge for the entire workforce development system. But in order for our country and our state to continue to thrive, we need everyone who's able to to engage in work, and this means finding many pathways for people to enter and stay in the workforce. It's a challenge for all the stakeholders, but one that points really to the health and the vibrancy of our country.
Speaker 1:So how have we seen the workforce change in recent years and do you see those changes continuing?
Speaker 3:Well, by far the dominant change at the moment has to be technology. Many jobs are at risk of vanishing and people are trying to navigate this change. The rise of a digital workforce is changing how people view their work, how they plan for their work life and even how they see themselves as being relevant. It's causing a great deal of uncertainty, for sure. You know. People are trying to balance their lives, although there's no such thing really as a work-life balance. There's life, and work is an integral part of life, just like rest and relationship and learning and religion. All of these are parts of life. However, this change of focus means that workplaces must account for this shift and help create an environment that appreciates other aspects of life, while delivering quality products and services to our customers.
Speaker 3:Now there's just a lot of uncertainty at the moment, and uncertainty around the economy and, by extension, around employment. Those two factors the move to rebalance life and that uncertainty and cause people to stay on their jobs, because you may remember the great resignation just a few years ago, there are a couple of years of people quitting and changing jobs frequently and people are staying put now and that in itself is a good change.
Speaker 1:Good. Well, what are some of the trends, or some of the other trends, that we're seeing?
Speaker 3:Well, I think probably the most visible trend is that people are beginning to use artificial intelligence at work even before businesses have put guardrails in place, and sometimes this causes problems. But it's very much an experimental period right now and that seems to be gaining steam quickly. It's just a matter of how the businesses and the organizations sort of catch up to the trend and put some safety measures in place to protect data and to protect people and that sort of thing. Along with that, people are embracing the ongoing need to learn and grow. Survey after survey tells us that people are paying attention to these technological changes, and the challenge is for people to do more than just watch from the sidelines, though Encouragingly, you know.
Speaker 3:In the state of Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, or THEC, enrollment in post-secondary education has increased by about 2.3 percent. Enrollment in post-secondary education has increased by about 2.3 percent and retention numbers for students have increased, which means people are sticking to their learning plans, and that's encouraging. Another interesting yet concerning trend is, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the number of men engaging in the workplace is dropping. Nationwide, there are about seven million men sitting on the sidelines. We certainly need to find a way to reverse this trend and get these guys back into the workforce. The numbers for the women have remained stable, so thank you, ladies, for continuing on.
Speaker 1:Is there a certain reason? Has anyone you know speculated as to why the male population is on the sidelines?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think some of the reasons that have been given. I was reading an article that was in Money Wise on moneywisecom not long ago and they were talking about you know they cite mental and physical health issues as barriers to working. Some have said that it's because of their lack of skills in certain areas and their inability to catch up with the skills gap. You know, life pressures from family and other things have also been factored in. So I think there's a multitude of reasons you know some are about. 28% of those in that count said they're not working by choice, which is concerning. So we have to figure out. Why are they choosing not to get into the game? So it's a challenge and one that we need to pay closer attention to All right.
Speaker 1:So, Tim, tell us about the work you do for the Center for Industrial Services, helping businesses develop their workforce.
Speaker 3:Sure, there are many areas of this focus for UT CIS as it pertains to workforce development. On the technology front, we can help with several assessments around advanced manufacturing and connect companies with helpful resources as they transition into Industry 4.0. And this can help determine what training and development the workforce actually requires. What type of talents do they need in this new manufacturing environment? We're also working on some new initiatives to help with applying technology on the plant floor. This includes automation applications like robots and sensors, but it also includes using AI in the day-to-day operations. How do we get our frontline workers ready to use AI in a safe and efficient way as we go about our work? You know, mep Consultant advises manufacturers on operational excellence, process improvement and, of course, health and safety.
Speaker 3:We can provide various types of training for leaders and for frontline workers, and we focus on things like problem solving, communication, lean concepts and quality systems.
Speaker 3:We can also help manufacturers with workplace development. Using the Optimized People Development System framework, we help them see their internal workforce development efforts as a whole system. Using the Talent Stream map, we can make a widespread, very dynamic system visible so that all the people who have a stake in that system can see it. Then we help reduce waste and increase efficiency by applying lean concepts to that system. And then, finally, we show them how to become a learning organization which creates engagement with their employees through ongoing learning and development across the whole team. You know we have another team focused on environmental, health and safety, and this team can assess systems and train people so that everyone is protected and organizations stay in compliance with important standards. And then, of course, there's our economic community development team, and they're an excellent source of advice and training for the community and economic developers when it comes to building a strong community-wide workforce development plan, because that's part of the funnel that feeds people into our workplaces. So that's just some of the ways that CIS can help.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay, great. Well, I'm going to mention economic development. That's a perfect segue for my next question for Autumn. Can you talk about the first Workforce Development Academy that was held earlier this year?
Speaker 2:Yes, we held an inaugural Tennessee Workforce Development Academy in February in Knoxville. It's a new course for CIS that kind of follows the framework of a very successful program that we have in place for economic developers called the Tennessee Certified Economic Developer Program, or TSED Certified Economic Developer Program or TSED and we attracted about 50 participants from across the state with varying degrees of experience, so we were excited to get this course launched.
Speaker 1:Okay, and who is the academy designed for?
Speaker 2:We designed the academy for workforce development professionals primarily. There was a lack of professional development and training for workforce development professionals and CIS recognized this as an unmet need. Our executive director, dr Paul Jennings, kind of recognized this in relation to our TSEAD program and that's kind of how the program came together. And so because, as Tim has kind of pointed out, because workforce development has become such a major focus, the Academy is also providing helpful insights for economic development practitioners, human resources, business leaders and community leaders.
Speaker 1:Okay, and what were some of the topics discussed during the sessions?
Speaker 2:We cover a lot of information over the two and a half days and we begin broadly with insights into how workforce initiatives align with broader economic goals, understanding the frameworks and methodologies for workforce planning and development, current and emerging trends information that one would need to stay on top of in such a changing economy.
Speaker 2:And then we move to labor market analysis skills that kind of help identify those skills gaps and employment trends that are going on, how you use that data to make informed decisions and set priorities and addressing real-world workforce challenges. And we do this through, you know, trying to encourage and foster community-based solutions. And then on the final day, we focus a little bit more on those individual skills and durable skills that help people be successful in their role as a workforce developer, and that involves communication, leadership and influence and the ability to be adaptable and agile. And throughout the course we're emphasizing the networking and relationship building and building those connections with the peers and stakeholders and potential collaborators that are in the room or sitting across the table from you are really important for us to, you know, help build capacity for professionals across the state and, you know, to build those collaborations. So that's an important part of it. And throughout they're engaging in group activities to help solve problems and develop shared strategies to address those challenges, and so it involves a lot of collaboration and teamwork.
Speaker 1:So what are some of the goals for the Academy moving forward?
Speaker 2:So since we hold our inaugural course in Knoxville, our immediate goal is to expand that to Middle Tennessee and we've announced that the 2026 Academy is going to be held in Cookville and our dates are March 3rd through 5th. So we're really looking forward to that and preparing now for that. And then, long term, our goal is to develop a certificate program that will include a suite of core courses, electives and a capstone project which kind of follows that successful Tennessee Certified Economic Developer Program that we have in place. So really, long term, we hope that this is a certificate program where you know workforce development professionals and other professionals that can benefit from this type of certification. Can, you know, really grow and develop skills and build capacity to serve Tennesseans Okay?
Speaker 1:All right. Well, thank you both for joining us today. Thank you, Thank you and thank you listeners. Be sure to subscribe to In Touch with Tennessee, where you find your favorite podcasts.
