Workforce
Ask any employer in Overton County what keeps them up at night and the answer, nearly every time, is people. Finding them, training them, and keeping them. That has become the central constraint on growth in this county, and it is the reason workforce development has moved from a side project to one of the Chamber's core functions.
Our role is not to run a training program. It is to keep employers and educators at the same table, to make sure the training available in this county matches the jobs available in this county, and to work on the underlying barriers that keep people out of the workforce altogether.
For Employers
Recruitment and screening. The American Job Center, administered regionally through the Upper Cumberland Workforce Board, provides employers with recruitment assistance, applicant screening, job fairs, and hiring events at no cost.
Customized training. TCAT Livingston can build training to an employer's specification, including on site, and has done so for manufacturers in this region for years.
Job board. Post your openings on the Chamber job board and reach candidates countywide.
Retention. Recruiting is expensive and turnover is more expensive. We are working with regional partners on a shared approach to retention for large employers, built on the premise that the problems driving turnover in this labor market, including transportation, childcare, and housing, are bigger than any one company can solve alone.
For Students, Parents, and Job Seekers
TCAT Livingston. Technical certificate and diploma programs with strong placement rates and a direct line into employers in this county. Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect can cover tuition for eligible students, which means a credential with real earning power at little or no cost.
Tennessee Reconnect. Tuition-free community and technical college for adults returning to complete a credential, which is one of the most underused opportunities available to working adults in this county.
Chamber job board. Openings with Overton County employers.
Education Partners
Overton County is served by a strong set of education institutions, and the Chamber works with all of them.
Overton County Schools provides K-12 education and career and technical education pathways.
TCAT Livingston provides technical training and workforce credentials, and has grown significantly in recent years.
Vol State Community College and Tennessee Tech University provide two-year and four-year pathways within commuting distance.
Childcare as Workforce Infrastructure
The single largest untapped source of workers in this county is people who want to work and cannot, because there is nowhere for their children to go. That is not a family problem. It is an employer problem, a tax base problem, and an economic development problem, and the Chamber treats it as one.
Through the Bright Futures Initiative, we are working to develop childcare capacity in Overton County as workforce infrastructure, in the same category as a road or a water line.
Talk to Us
If you are an employer with a workforce problem, or a person trying to figure out a next step, call the Chamber at (931) 823-6421.