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Cleveland Daily Banner—Tuesday, January 5, 2016—3
TENNESSEE BRIEFS
Report: ‘Substantial’ need to
expand $10M college program
NASHVILLE (AP) — The
Tennessee Higher Education
Commission is asking lawmakers
to expand a $10 million grant program that paired employers with
colleges to develop academic programs tailored to the needs of
local job markets.
According to The Tennessean,
the commission said in a report
released Wednesday that Labor
Education Alignment Program
has grown substantially, but
needs to receive more funding and
attention during the upcoming
legislative session.
The program doled out the
grant funding to 12 different
coalitions late in 2014.
The report says that thousands
of students across 51 counties
were reached by the first wave of
grant funding, including 13,363
students who participated in
extracurricular programming,
including internships, clubs or
training.
The commission says that
funding a larger number of coalitions moving forward would help
expand the program’s impact.
“The demand for expansion into
other state geographic regions
remains substantial,” the report
said. “Additional funds that
enable new communities to align
educational
and
training
resources to meet the needs of
new employers and work sectors
would provide the opportunity for
Tennessee to sharpen and maintain its competitive edge in the
nation’s labor market.”
The program is part of Gov. Bill
Haslam’s Drive to 55, which aims
to increase the number of
Tennesseans with a college education.
Drive to 55 Director Mike
Krause said the higher education
model takes a “new approach”
that includes input from businesses and manufacturers.
“We ask for employers to be on
the front end of the program to
make sure that the program
meets their needs,” Krause said.
“You want employers involved in
those kinds of discussions.”
Project aims to provide housing
for struggling LGBT youth
MEMPHIS (AP) — The Memphis
Gay and Le 6&