Media Room

In this Area Development article, redefining the workforce in a post-pandemic world will likely be driven by the ideals of our largest generation — millennials. Eventually this pandemic will end, a vaccine will be readily available, and we will attempt to return back to our “normal” lives. But what does this next “new normal” look like? Can…

In this Area Development article it explores the topic of sustaining industrial labor needs during and after the pandemic. Finding and retaining a skilled workforce continues to be a critical need, and those unemployed during the pandemic may need training and help with other issues to step into those open roles. Read more.

In an article written by Thomas B. Ballard and published on Teknovation.biz, a total of 10 Volunteer State communities made the list of 400 cities, categorized in two ways: (1) large or small; and (2) one of five tiers within each category. Six moved up, while four recorded a decline. Read more about the Best Performing Cities 2021.

Article from Chattanooga Times Free Press written by Dave Flessner Power sales to major industries in the Tennessee Valley rose 7.5% in the fourth quarter of 2020 as manufacturers continued to rebound from the pandemic. Despite an overall drop in power consumption last year, especially among many hard-hit commercial businesses, the Tennessee Valley Authority said…

Joan Bienvenue has been selected as the first executive director of the Oak Ridge Institute at the University of Tennessee, established last year to align the expertise and infrastructure of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the university in support of world-leading research and talent development. As director, Bienvenue will also serve as a vice provost…

The Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development released a document that outlines its response to the inquiries received from employers regarding work refusals for unemployment insurance. In the revised legislation, Continued Assistance for Unemployed Workers Act of 2020, there is a requirement that claimants must not refuse suitable work. In order to fulfill the…

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation announced Wednesday they are partnering to develop a statewide electric vehicle fast charging network to power the growth of EVs across Tennessee and reduce barriers to transportation electrification. TDEC and TVA signed an agreement to collaborate and fund a network of fast…

Sharing this article from Site Selection magazine which outlines the challenges facing today’s workforce as the pandemic continues. Against this backdrop, we turned to several leaders in economic development and asked them to share their views on the top issues facing the workforce and workforce development. What they had to say was telling, but even…

Business leaders across Tennessee continue to be more optimistic about the state’s economic outlook than the nation’s, according to the most recent survey conducted by the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The Tennessee Business Leaders Survey shows that respondents credit Tennessee’s positive outlook largely to stronger business investment and…

This Op-Ed written by Bryan Daniels, president and CEO of the Blount Partnership, appeared in the Feb. 7, 2021 edition of The Daily Times. Since 2015, the Blount Partnership has collaborated with the cities of Alcoa and Maryville and Blount County government to generate eight major economic development announcements that totaled 3,270 jobs and $1.8…