4 things to know about workforce development in Middle Tennessee

• Unemployment hit historic lows this year in Davidson County while job growth continues.
• U.S. Department of Labor leadership is promoting local partnerships to address workforce equity gaps.

Leaders in workforce development on Tuesday promised a renewed commitment to equity at a roundtable discussion hosted by Project Return, a Nashville-based nonprofit focused on employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated people. 

The forum hosted Nashville Mayor John Cooper and U.S. Department of Labor deputy secretary Julie Su. Representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau and the Nashville Chamber of Commerce were also present on the 14-person discussion panel.

Su said the panel was focused on promoting longstanding connections between local and federal leaders in the name of equitable workforce development. 

"My hope is making concrete connections," Su said to the panel of nonprofit leaders and local policymakers. "We want to make sure you feel supported in the work you're doing on the ground."

Panelists emphasized the necessity for ongoing conversations about promoting equity in workforce development.

Here are four things to know about workforce development in Middle Tennessee:

Unemployment historically low, jobs still growing

Just over 13,000 people are unemployed in Davidson County. The state's unemployment rate hit an all-time low in March at 3.2%, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. 

Tennessee reached the record-setting low 23 months after it marked its all-time highest unemployment rate of 15.9% in April 2020.

Meanwhile, job growth isn't slowing down as more companies relocate to Middle Tennessee.

"We have used tax incentives to entice billion-dollar corporations to come here," Mayor Cooper said. "Nashville has learned that we don't have to pay people to come here anymore, and we're not doing that."

Workforce data shows inequities

Panelists agreed that Nashville needs to make strides in promoting racial and gender equity in workforce development. 

According to a recent study released in partnership with Urban League of Middle Tennessee, workers of color are almost twice as likely as their white counterparts to earn wages under $15 per hour.

Sarah Glynn, a senior analyst with the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau, said Black and Hispanic women face specific challenges in the workforce because of occupational segregation. Women of color, Glynn said, lost their jobs at higher rates during the pandemic and have faced barriers in re-entering the workforce. 

"The pandemic showed us that our care structure is vital," Glynn said. "It's not that these jobs aren't incredibly valuable; its that we don't value them because they are most often held by women."

Local leaders work to scale up winning frameworks

Metro Council member Delishia Porterfield said community benefit agreements are big wins for workforce development in Nashville and can be leveraged to promote equity.

Porterfield, who also serves as the director of leadership and advocacy at Stand Up Nashville, said city residents feel like rapid urban development is happening to them and not for them. She hopes community benefit agreements, which prioritize investment in local workforce opportunities, can be scaled to work more often in city development plans. 

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Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce chief talent development officer Stephanie Coleman highlighted existing projects working to promote post-secondary educational achievement to meet needs in specific industries like health care and education. 

Coleman said addressing racial disparities in post-secondary achievement is key in promoting equity in workforce development.

Nonprofits aim to fill in the gaps

Project Return, the host of Tuesday's discussion, works to break down barriers faced by formerly incarcerated Tennesseans. The nonprofit provides wraparound services, direct employment and affordable housing options. 

Project Return's chief executive officer Bettie Kirkland said the organization sees formerly incarcerated people as a representation of a positive future for Tennessee's workforce. 

"The opportunity is staring us in the face," Kirkland said. "Formerly incarcerated people have built up a reserve of humility and motivation that walks across our threshold every day by its own power."

Reach reporter Molly Davis at mdavis2@gannett.com or on Twitter @mollym_davis.