FEATURE
Mission Makers Motivators By Frank Tate | IDB Executive Director Frank Tate & Richard Addison
Throughout unnormal times, trendy uncommon words hit the media to generate buzz. Today, social distancing, onshoring, buyer persona, and big data come to mind. Even when things are normal, a term that keeps trending is workforce availability. Almost every conversation related to economic development, WORKFORCE, and availability is top of the list. Workforce is increasingly becoming a common word in every businesses’ vocabulary. Over the past several years, it is a term that receives more recognition than infrastructure, taxes, and growth. In the Clarksville region, our workforce is here, growing and becoming a stronghold for our future development. A few years ago, Tennessee’s Economic and Community Development launched a program called the Tennessee Promise, the goal for it was to help our 10 • CLARKSVILLE BUSINESS JOURNAL
citizens earn two years of college for free. Clarksville has roughly 26% of its high school graduates participating, and the great thing is those individuals are motivated to better themselves. The exciting part of the program is to meet and hear the stories of the firstgeneration college recipients in a family
In the Clarksville region, our workforce is here, growing and becoming a stronghold for our future development. or even better about a first-generation high school graduate that is a part of the program. Montgomery County has 56.6% of its high school graduates enroll in college and also utilize this program.
Recently, the IDB had the pleasure of partnering with Clarksville Business Journal and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Clarksville (BBBS) to recognize Richard, a young high school graduate that will be attending Austin Peay in the Fall. He is also participating in the Tennessee Promise Hope scholarship program and has been participating in the BBBS program for NUMBER of years. He grew up in a non-traditional home setting, so being able to learn about him and what motivates him to be successful reminded the team of why we are passionate about doing what we do. To sweeten the introduction, the VIP Clarksville Magazine & Clarksville Business Journal team, developed a Salute to Seniors scholarship program that will help this young man with some expenses the Hope Scholarship won’t cover during his first semester.
