The Nashville Chamber Public Benefit Foundation

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.new skills ready 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. Tennessee college of applied technology (tcat) Nashville is offering technical dual enrollment for The first time in metro Nashville Public schools through The nsr investment. Students attending academies of Nashville schools can now earn clock hours toward tcat programs in career and technical education, and dual enrollment courses in computer information technology (cit) are being offered in all four new skills ready high schools in The 2023-24 school year. Since The start of The investment, The number of students in The new skills high schools successfully completing at least one dual enrollment course has tripled. The investment supports dual enrollment coordination at Nashville state community college and tcat-nashville as well as college and career coaches at The high schools who link students to advanced coursework opportunities like dual enrollment.in june 2023, new skills ready partner Tennessee college access and success network released a report funded through The nsr investment that maps and analyzes transportation options for The most common postsecondary destinations of metro Nashville Public school graduates. Released in june 2023, The report includes recommendations for reducing transportation barriers to postsecondary access. "point of departure: navigating Nashville as a college commuter" can be accessed at wwwtncollegeaccessorgpointofdepar... Social capital grant all four new skills ready high schools participated in an aligned investment to new skills ready funded by The gates Foundation and administered by education strategy group (esg) around social capital. College and career readiness coaches facilitated lesson plans with students to help them identify who is in their networks and how to leverage their networks to support their career goals. Students were able to practice their networking and interviewing skills with Chamber members and other business and community partners.nashville reconnect Nashville reconnect and The Nashville talent hub continue to serve adults returning to earn a degree or credential with a focus on Nashville promise zone residents. Currently, Nashville reconnect serves 834 reconnectors (594 enrolled and 240 pre-enrolled). Of these active reconnectors, 65% are female, 30% are male, 50% are black, 28% are white, and 6% are hispanic. There have been 40 graduates. Nashville reconnect has partnered with The family collective, part of united way of greater Nashville, to connect students who are at-risk of becoming unhoused, or who are currently unhoused, with intensive services and resources.nashville flex more than half of Nashville state community college's student body enroll part-time (56%). Tennessee's last-dollar scholarship, tn promise, is limited to students who enroll full-time. Recognizing these and other barriers, Tennessee college access and success network (tcasn), Nashville state, The Nashville area Chamber of commerce, vanderbilt university's peabody college, and kresge Foundation for education made The decision to focus on The success of part-time students with a demonstration project called Nashville flex. Through Nashville flex, part-time students receive $150 per semester for textbooks, $150 monthly for transit and/or food, a loaner laptop, a strong peer network, and a dedicated advisor who provides mentoring and support. As part of this effort, The Chamber has trained more than 100 community members as reconnect ambassadors to connect potential students to The individuals and resources they need to succeed at Nashville state and other college campuses. Tn blu-skillspan The Chamber leads a statewide coalition called tn business leaders united (blu)-skillspan that focuses on policy issues impacting workforce access part of a national effort led by The national skills coalition. In 2023, The Tennessee blu-skillspan coalition transitioned to being co-led by The Chamber and martha o'bryan center. The coalition prioritized The following issues in 2023: expanding career and technical education and work-based learning opportunities like apprenticeships and on-the-job training; moving to one tuition level for community colleges to expand enrollment; creating greater access to work supports to help adult students meet their basic needs and care for their families while participating in skills training programs; closing The eligibility gap between Tennessee promise and Tennessee reconnect; and expanding access to high-quality, short-term training.clean slate 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.