Leaders from labor unions, industry, education, economic development organizations and community partners gathered at ORAU earlier this summer for the Pathway to Trades Summit. The objective was to address one of Tennessee’s most pressing challenges and greatest opportunities: developing the skilled trades workforce needed to support the rapid expansion of nuclear energy, advanced manufacturing and related industries.
To continue the conversation, ORAU has produced “Pathway to Trades Summit: Executive Summary and Next Steps,” an eight-page document that outlines 14 aspirational goals and potential action items designed to spark dialogue and shared ownership among the stakeholders who participated in the Summit and those interested in joining the conversation.
The summit focused on identifying workforce needs, highlighting successful partnerships and programs, addressing barriers to employment, and strengthening coordination across sectors to ensure Tennessee is prepared to meet growing labor demand over the next decade and beyond.
“As a follow on to Pathway to Trades, we wanted to offer bold ideas and possibilities to keep the conversation going and address some of the issues that were identified during the Summit,” said Laura Hammons, strategic programs and operations manager for ORAU’s STEM Accelerator and lead organizer of the Summit. “We know there is work already being done as a direct result of connections made in the meeting and want to continue that momentum.”
Goals and actions are divided into four priority areas: enhancing nuclear career awareness, supporting pipeline and pathway development, identifying financial support and institutional programs, and optimizing academic and training resources. They are then split into short-term (one- to-two years) and long-term (three-to-five-plus years).
The 14 possible goals include: creating a framework for a legal youth apprenticeship program beginning at age 16, creating a public-private, multi-shift childcare network, creating a permanent wraparound-services endowment fund, and building co-located, advanced technology labs in existing educational facilities, among others.
“Where we go from here in terms of workforce development is everyone’s responsibility,” Hammons said. “Success for all requires coordinated collaboration among employers, unions, educators, economic development agencies, policymakers and community organizations.”
Hammons added that planning is already underway for the next Pathway to Trades Summit.
The Pathway to Trades Summit helped to catalyze strong regional momentum around workforce development for the nuclear sector. East Tennessee has the expertise, partnerships and commitment necessary to help shape the future workforce that will power the nation’s next generation of energy innovations.
Read Pathway to Trades Summit Executive Summary and Next Steps and find other results from the event, including a key takeaways document, a summit wrap-up, photos and more, by visiting the ORAU website.