Tennessee tourism leaders talk workforce development, employment barriers

KINGSPORT — The Tennessee Governor's Conference on Hospitality and Tourism opened Thursday with discussion of how workforce development and tourism departments can work together.Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Deniece Thomas served as the keynote speaker at the breakfast and general session Thursday morning. She started by thanking the tourism and hospitality professionals in the crowd for not only giving Tennesseans the opportunity to have a job but to have a career."No other industry sector allows individuals not just to get a job, but a gateway for a career," Thomas said. "In the workforce it is not just about helping those who already have the degrees, [or who] already have the credentials. It's about helping those who oftentimes have challenges and don't really know where to begin."Thomas said the tourism industry's ample opportunities for career growth are what led to the desire for an expanded partnership between departments."That kind of work commanded us to be here in Kingsport with you," she said. "To bring our entire leadership team to get to know you, to network with you, to find out what makes your industry so amazing, where people feel like they have a pathway not just for a career, but for a better life for themselves and their families."Tennessee Talent InitiativeThomas introduced the Tennessee Talent Initiative as a way to further promote educational pathways for the emerging workforce. She presented Northeast State Community College President Jeff McCord with a $250,000 check to benefit the college's new culinary program."We want to work with the Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association to make very poignant investments to programs all across our great state that support this industry," Thomas said. "We want students, whether they're in K-12 or whether they're beginning their career in post-secondary education, to have an opportunity to take part in programs that prep them for jobs and careers inside this industry sector."She said this investment also includes paid internships for students, and covered costs for certifications, job shadowing and necessary supplies."So students that want to take part who have barriers, it's already paid for, and that's what we want to be able to do," Thomas said. "So I hope that you get to see more of these all across the state as we continue our journey to be a partner in earnest."Youth Employment ProgramThomas touched on the significance of the state's Youth Employment Program. Tennesseans between the age of 14 and 24 are given the chance to gain work experience while also getting paid.According to Thomas, YEP served close to 5,000 kids and had 1,200 employers take part in the program's first run. She said TDLWD will continue to champion the program in the years to come.Beverly Murphy of Clay County told Thomas during the question and answer portion of the session how grateful she was for the YEP program in her community."We had kids in our county that were taking money home to their parents, [kids] that were feeding their parents with their jobs," Murphy said. "So it's an amazing program. The funding ran out, which was a terrible thing, but if it's something that y'all were lucky enough to get in your county, y'all need to go after it with a passion, because we were blessed with it."Thomas answered by saying the YEP program can really make a visible difference in the rural communities of Tennessee."This is not just kids earning so they can buy their favorite sneakers or their favorite video games," she said. "Some of these kids are earning and they're contributing to the economic welfare of their household. That's a big deal, and especially in rural Tennessee, it's even more empowering."Expanding CTE in high schoolsKrista Etter of Grainger County asked Thomas about working with the Department of Education to expand CTE programs at the high school level."My question is, are y'all working with the Department of Education to help expand those CTE programs so that we're not just getting them in college, we're getting them in high school," Etter asked.Thomas said TDLWD is working with the DOE and will continue to make sure that message is received as TDLWD works with its partners."As you guys know far better than me in this industry, it's one thing to learn about it in the classroom, it's another thing to actually put hands to the plow," she said. "I absolutely think we need to expand our CTE coursework in the hospitality sector and I think we should give those kids opportunities."Dispelling myths, barriersAnother conference attendee asked Thomas about the influence parents can have on their child's career decisions. She said the department's role is to equip those parents with the right information and "mythbusting" preconceived notions of certain lines of work.Brooks Shaw of Jackson, Tennessee, shared about giving second-chance opportunities to the recently incarcerated or individuals recovering from addiction."As you talk about busting the myths around the workforce and finding people with incredible stories, there's nothing more incredible than hiring someone who was in jail eight years ago in active addiction, came on as a part-time server for caterings, worked her way up through the business, and is now my general manager, managing $6 million in revenue," Shaw said. "She has an incredible story, and our place is full of people like that."Thomas said the TDLWD created the Tennessee Office of Reentry with helping justice-involved individuals in mind."Look at the number of individuals that are incarcerated, that's where our workforce is, and so we have a responsibility to make sure those folks are coming out, that we get them ready for opportunity," she mentioned. "So thank you for being the type of employee that opens your doors, and I hope we get more so thank you for what you're doing."Barry White of Chattanooga asked about how the tourism industry can help its workers overcome employment barriers like transportation and childcare.From Thomas' perspective, she said the department has programs to help alleviate some of those barriers — but it would be better to learn what the industry is already doing and "join together" to build the capacity as opposed to doing it separately."I think we still have some policy and practice work to do, but I think learning what you're doing and figuring out how we can come alongside you and maybe support with some of the resources we have is something that I would encourage," she said. "That we keep that dialogue going."