Recently, the Blount Partnership’s Director of Workforce Development Jessica Belitz and Director of Economic Development Lauren Emert graduated from the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) Valley Workforce Institute and Rural Leadership Institute, respectively.
The Valley Workforce Institute is designed to assist economic developers in understanding and selling their workforce assets and addressing talent pipeline challenges in today’s economy. The program is offered to community economic development professionals in the TVA service area to help foster long-term success.
The Rural Leadership Institute provides professional leadership training to rural community economic development professionals in the TVA service area.
Three two-day training sessions included skills development in workforce data analysis and application, identifying and addressing labor force challenges and opportunities, developing creative labor force solutions, foundations of leadership style and effectiveness, media relations, presentation skills and effectively marketing your community.
“A community’s ability to compete, gain jobs, and attract economic investments depends on local leaders being prepared, having product available, and understanding its workforce story to differentiate their community’s unique strengths,” said TVA Senior Vice President of Economic Development John Bradley.
Bradley added, “Rural America’s ability to compete, gain jobs, and attract economic investments depends on local leaders being prepared, having product available, and using effective leadership and communication skills to differentiate their community’s unique strengths.”
“Getting to meet and learn from peer leaders was so beneficial to help us continue to make Blount County a prosperous area for businesses, while making sure future generations have a place to work and call home,” said Belitz.
“These two programs are significant to our area, especially as both economic and workforce development have grown more intertwined over the last decade,” said Emert. “All the focus areas covered gave me new ideas on how to meet the challenges we face in fostering a stronger workforce for our employers.”
Over 300 individuals have participated in both programs over the last dozen years.