Members of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development have released a new report that they say highlights jobs in high demand across Tennessee.
Those jobs include occupations in finance and technology, automotive, distribution and logistics, and other target industry clusters.
This, according to a press release that TNECD officials published on their website this week.
The Labor and Education Alignment Program (LEAP) describes occupations that TNECD officials said “are strategically important to the growth of the state economy and to TNECD’s expansion and recruitment efforts.” In addition, the report also lists STEM occupations with high employer demand.
“This year’s report also addresses potential new trends that could emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and includes a new section highlighting where in-demand positions intersect with high levels of unemployment claims in 2020, as reported by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development,” according to the press release.
“For each region of Tennessee, approximately 60 to 100 occupations that businesses need to fill are identified in the report. The study analyzes key metrics such as median wage, online job postings, hires and projected job openings. The LEAP report seeks to assist local, regional and state policy decision-makers and outlines areas for increased alignment between education and industry.”
Tennessee’s in-demand jobs, the report said, include, among countless others, welders, electromechanical assemblers, woodworkers, and production workers.
Tennessee’s unemployment rate as of September of this year was 6.3 percent, according to the report.
“There are valid concerns about what this recovery means for the workforce, especially specific demographics such as young males, minorities, and women, which is why there must be an increased focus on short term training and workforce readiness programs,” the report said.
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission will release an Academic Supply and Occupational Demand Report in January that will build upon the results of this study. The report will also include supporting programs of study offered at Tennessee’s colleges and universities, the press release said.
The 2020 LEAP report is available for download here.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
