The Economy has Changed, We Must Prepare - Part 2

As we talked about last week, the national, state, and local economy has changed and is not going back to what it used to be. Advances in technology have drastically changed the way base-export businesses function and have changed the demands on the workforce to become more trained and educated.

The State of Tennessee now offers great programs for traditional and non-traditional (adult) students interested in going to college or receiving vocational training. For traditional students, TN Promise, TN Achieves, the Hope Scholarship, and various federal grants can make college debt free for those with financial need. For non-traditional or adult students, TN Reconnect, TN Promise, the Hope Scholarship, TN Student Assistance Award, and various federal grants can also make getting a certificate or degree almost debt free as well!

The best part of all of this is Elizabethton is in the best location to take advantage of these programs. We have a local Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT), Northeast State Community College, and Milligan College right in our backyard! In addition, online programs and ETSU being a short drive away make certificates and degrees at these institutions hard to pass up.

With a few certifications or some training, people with a high school diploma can take advantage of top jobs in the Tri-Cities and make over $30,000 per year. Some of these include heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, emergency medical technicians and paramedics, bill and account collectors, office and administrative supervisors, bookkeeping/accounting/auditing clerks, automotive service technicians and mechanics, sales representatives, and billing and posting clerks. If you want to pursue a degree and make over $40,000 per year, hot jobs in the Tri-Cities include school teachers, clergy/pastors, accountants and auditors, pharmacists, and medical doctors. All of these jobs are in demand, show positive job growth, and have at least 20 job openings per year in the area.

The point here is that all of these types of jobs require some form of post-high school training or degree. With educational resources like we have locally, you could get your administrative assistant or automotive technician diploma from TCAT here in Elizabethton in less than 2 years, your EMT or Accounting certification around your schedule with nights, weekends, and online classes at Northeast State in Elizabethton, a degree to be a pastor or accountant at Milligan College, or even a degree to be a teacher or pharmacist at ETSU. We have rich educational resources here that other communities covet.

If you’re interested, talk with your employer about working with you on flexible hours to attend classes or talk with representatives at Northeast State, TCAT, or Milligan about the different grant programs. A better trained workforce creates an attraction for new businesses and industry. We must work together to improve our community; after all, no one else is going to do it for us. Let’s talk about it!