Rural Development Roundtable Highlights
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

TENNESSEE Rural Development Roundtable Highlights
Top Priorities:
Education/Workforce Development: 1. Educational Deficiencies: Student / System; 2. Promoting community/family involvement in schools; 3. Training for local labor market needs / Educational Status of workforce; Brain drain / retaining skilled workers; 4. Access to jobs (job availability in or out of the county of residence); Tied. School involvement in community engagement activities; School-based entrepreneurship/business development initiatives; Mentoring/internship programs
Economic Development: 1. Community Assets and Constraints; 2. Globalization (economic opportunities and challenges)/ Trade and market issues, 3 (Tied). Business retention and expansion; Business recruitment/attraction; Building business networks; Economic impact assessment; 4 (Tied). Entrepreneurship, business start-ups, micro- enterprise, incubator programs; Value-added processing; Dealing with regulations; Economic friendly local government policies
Leadership and Citizen Participation: 1. Expanding civic engagement / Resource and participation constraints; 2 (Tied). Leadership development training; Community collaboration strategies
Specific Needs Under Each Priority:
Education/Workforce Leadership/Civic Economic Development Development Participation/Governance
Strategies: Strategies: Strategies: Reading Programs - Need to take advantage of Utilize existing Imagination Library our natural amenities local/regional training programs (http://www.imaginationlibrary. Small business support at Form regional alliances com/) local level Encourage/ mandate Student Assessment Workforce development participation in leadership Program to redirect instead of education facilities training for elected officials forcing young adults/ high "Value-Added" Put funding in Leadership school grad. To college agriculture programs Pre-K programs - local/ Identify cluster industries Incorporate city/ county state grant funded that “Fit” community government classes into high Local partnership funding Leadership training in school curriculum. for education economic development Leadership youth and adult Year-round school Coordinate resources classes, West Star Programs for under across agencies (http://www.utm.edu/department achievers for better work ethics s/weststar/) to encourage continuing education Technology Centers - Vol- State-TTU Adult Literacy Program More ed/ business communication/ partnership Pilot community computers in classroom
RD Research Needs: RD Research Needs: RD Research Needs: Availability of workforce in Assist communities with Develop database with county identifying local assets companies interested in Local skills assessment to What industry clusters mentoring program. Then determine the skills and talents would best fit specific credits for mentoring students of the people to better identify regions in Tennessee? Leadership- Develop potential economic development Determine the economic different/multiple strategies for opportunities impact of regulations to alliances and collaborations Impact of year-round businesses in the state. People engagement schools Impact of e-commerce on Programs to develop How to market rural rural communities entrepreneurs communities to youth Assist with feasibility Identify school studies programming needs Necessary infrastructure to support targeted industry clusters Research other case studies in other states and counties to develop and implement Best Case Practices to rural areas. Sustainable value added opportunities for crops
RD Extension Needs: RD Extension Needs: RD Extension Needs: Job shadowing (both good/ Promote importance of Help develop leadership bad) to see the "reality" of the agriculture classes job market. Promote investments in How do you recycle Keeping records agriculture volunteers? Workforce training for Provide technical Provide educational major employers assistance in helping citizens leadership training to Assist and focus on local deal with regulations landowners and community education to promote better Provide training for officials prepared employees/college producing alternative crops Rural leadership training students Rules and regulations Develop leadership training Provide training for involved with immigrant with partners including all producing alternative crops workers agriculture institutions and Training and developing agencies financial plans for producers Teaching children to get into niche markets responsibility thru 4-H Teach producers and programs, etc. other business owners how to Youth leadership use census data for technical development info, marketing and procurement Financial projections on new businesses to present to local banks