The Nashville Chamber Public Benefit Foundation

THE NASHVILLE CHAMBER PUBLIC BENEFIT FOUNDATION COORDINATES EFFORTS WITH BUSINESS, EDUCATION AND GOVERNMENT.

EDUCATION AND TALENT DEVELOPMENT: THE AVAILABILITY AND PREPAREDNESS OF THE NASHVILLE AREA'S LABOR FORCE IS THE NUMBER ONE DRIVER OF ECONOMIC PROSPERITY. THE FOUNDATION'S WORK HELPS ENSURE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES, OPPORTUNITY YOUTH, TENNESSEE RECONNECT ADULTS, AND CURRENT WORKERS ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE CREDENTIALS AND EXPERIENCE NECESSARY TO INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY AND PREPAREDNESS OF NASHVILLE AREA TALENT.IN OCTOBER 2020, JPMORGAN CHASE ANNOUNCED NASHVILLE AS ONE OF SIX U.S. SITES SELECTED FOR THE NEW SKILLS READY GRANT, PROVIDING A $7 MILLION INVESTMENT IN NASHVILLE OVER FIVE YEARS. THE GRANT SUPPORTS THE SEAMLESS TRANSITION OF UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS FROM METRO NASHVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS (MNPS) INTO POSTSECONDARY TO EARN A CREDENTIAL OR DEGREE AND ENTER A HIGH-WAGE, HIGH-DEMAND CAREER. THE FOUNDATION IS SERVING AS THE SITE LEAD AND FISCAL AGENT FOR THE GRANT. OTHER PARTNERS INCLUDE MNPS, NASHVILLE STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, TCAT NASHVILLE, MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY, TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, TENNESSEE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION, TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS, TENNESSEE COLLEGE ACCESS AND SUCCESS NETWORK, THE SCARLETT FAMILY FOUNDATION, AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. IN 2021, THE NEW SKILLS READY TEAM PARTICIPATED IN REI AND SYSTEMNESS TRAINING, AND FIVE WORKING GROUPS BROUGHT DATA, VISUAL REPRESENTATIONS OF THEIR SYSTEMS, AND SHARED WORK TO DATE ON CREATING A SEAMLESS FRAMEWORK ACROSS K-12, POSTSECONDARY, AND THE WORKFORCE. THE FIVE WORKING GROUPS ARE: COLLEGE AND CAREER COACHES FRAMEWORK, DRAFT PATHWAYS ADVISING, EQUITY, PATHWAYS CERTIFICATION, AND WORK-BASED LEARNING. THE TEAM HAS EXPERIENCED EARLY WINS IN WORK-BASED LEARNING (50 WORK-BASED LEARNING CAPSTONES IN FOUR NSR HIGH SCHOOLS) AND DRAFT PATHWAYS ADVISING (BEST PRACTICE IDENTIFICATION AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT). NASHVILLE RECONNECT IS PART OF TENNESSEE RECONNECT, AN INITIATIVE TO HELP ADULTS RETURN TO HIGHER EDUCATION TO GAIN NEW SKILLS, ADVANCE IN THE WORKPLACE, AND FULFILL LIFELONG DREAMS OF COMPLETING A DEGREE OR CREDENTIAL. NASHVILLE RECONNECT CURRENTLY SERVES 1,030 ADULTS IN THE NASHVILLE PROMISE ZONE AND ADJACENT ZIP CODES, 422 OF WHOM ARE ENROLLED AND 608 ARE PRE-ENROLLED. OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF RECONNECTORS, 56% ARE BLACK, 31% ARE WHITE, AND 4% ARE HISPANIC/LATINX. NASHVILLE RECONNECT PROVIDES NEUTRAL NAVIGATION AND CONNECTION TO WRAPAROUND SERVICES IN TWO RECONNECT CAFES WHILE WORKING WITH EMPLOYERS TO LEVERAGE RECONNECT GRANTS TO BUILD INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PIPELINES OF TALENT. THE FOUNDATION HAS TRAINED MORE THAN 250 PEOPLE FROM EMPLOYERS, CHURCHES, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, AND TRAINING AND EDUCATION PROVIDERS TO SERVE AS RECONNECT AMBASSADORS. NASHVILLE RECONNECT IS NOW PART OF THE FAMILY COLLECTIVE, A PROGRAM OF UNITED WAY FOCUSED ON ENDING FAMILY HOMELESSNESS IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE.JPMORGAN CHASE PROVIDED GRANT FUNDING TO CREATE A COMPETENCY-BASED PROGRAMMING CREDENTIAL THAT OFFERS STUDENTS A FLEXIBLE, SELF-PACED CURRICULUM TO ENTER AN IT CAREER. THE COURSE LAUNCHED AT NASHVILLE STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN THE FALL OF 2021. COLUMBIA STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS DEVELOPING A SIMILAR CURRICULUM ON THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY CAMPUS. IN 2021, THE FOUNDATION DEVELOPED A MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN TO TARGET UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS TO ENROLL AND GAIN A CREDENTIAL TO ENTER OR ADVANCE IN A CAREER IN IT PROGRAMMING.THE NASHVILLE TALENT HUB IS A PARTNERSHIP OF THE FOUNDATION, METRO NASHVILLE, NASHVILLE STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND TCAT NASHVILLE, AND BRINGS TOGETHER COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, EMPLOYERS AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO ALIGN PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO INCREASE COLLEGE ENROLLMENT, PERSISTENCE AND SUCCESS. COMMUNITIES EARNED THE TALENT HUB DESIGNATION BY MEETING RIGOROUS STANDARDS FOR CREATING ENVIRONMENTS THAT ATTRACT, RETAIN, AND CULTIVATE TALENT, PARTICULARLY STUDENTS OF COLOR, THE FIRST IN THEIR FAMILIES TO GO TO COLLEGE, AND THOSE FROM LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS. THE NASHVILLE TALENT HUB LEVERAGES TENNESSEE'S FREE TECHNICAL AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE TUITION FOR ADULTS AND FEDERAL STUDENT AID, COUPLED WITH HIGH-TOUCH NAVIGATION AND COMPLETION COACH SERVICES AND RESOURCES TO SUPPORT ADULT POSTSECONDARY ATTAINMENT, FOCUSED ON THE NASHVILLE PROMISE ZONE. IN 2021, THE TALENT HUB GUIDING TEAM IMPLEMENTED THE LISTENING TOUR 2.0 TO FOLLOW THE LISTENING TOUR CONDUCTED IN 2018. THE LISTENING TOUR HELPED DETERMINE THE IMPACT OF CURRENT INTERVENTIONS AND IDENTIFY BARRIERS KEEPING ADULTS FROM ENTERING AND COMPLETING A DEGREE OR CREDENTIAL.NATIONAL SKILLS COALITION AWARDED GRANT FUNDS TO BUILD A STATEWIDE COALITION TO CREATE TENNESSEE CHAPTERS OF BUSINESS LEADERS UNITED (BLU) AND SKILLSPAN. NOW UNDER ONE UMBRELLA, THIS GROUP INCLUDES MORE THAN 80 CHAMBERS, EMPLOYERS, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, STATE, AND METRO AGENCIES WORKING TO ADDRESS POLICY BARRIERS THAT KEEP EMPLOYERS FROM FILLING MIDDLE SKILLS JOBS, JOBS THAT REQUIRE SOME EDUCATION BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL. THE COLLABORATIVE IS FOCUSED ON PROVIDING INPUT FOR THE REAUTHORIZATION OF THE WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITIES ACT (WIOA,) POLICIES SUPPORTING EARLY POSTSECONDARY OPPORTUNITIES AND WORK-BASED LEARNING, AND PARTNERSHIPS AND CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION. TN BLU-SKILLSPAN HOLDS QUARTERLY, VIRTUAL, SESSIONS FOR LEARNING, UPDATES, OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION ON PILOT PROJECTS, AND INFORMATION SHARING, FOCUSED ON THESE PRIORITIES.THE CLEAN SLATE PROGRAM IS PART OF THE FOUNDATION'S WORK WITH BLU AND SKILLSPAN. THE PROGRAM LAUNCHED IN JANUARY 2021 AT NASHVILLE STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND IS DESIGNED TO REENGAGE STUDENTS WITH A PAST DUE BALANCE AND MOVE THEM TO COMPLETION OF A DEGREE OR CREDENTIAL. THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY A GRANT FROM THE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, AS CURRENT STATE LAW DOES NOT ALLOW SCHOOLS TO FORGIVE A PAST DUE BALANCE. THIS PILOT HOPES TO SHOW A POSITIVE RETURN ON INVESTMENT OF FORGIVING THAT BALANCE. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE OVER 14,000 STUDENTS AT THE COLLEGE WITH A PAST DUE BALANCE, AND MORE THAN 8,500 HAVE A BALANCE BELOW $500.