The Tennessee Department of Human services recently selected Workforce Essentials’ proposal to deliver Families First services in Middle and West Tennessee.  The procurement process saw competition from local and national workforce agencies.  Congratulations to Natalie McLimore and the entire WorkFirst Team!  Natalie’s outstanding leadership as well as her awesome grant writing skills garnered high scores from the review team.  We also know that none of this would be possible without the experienced and professional staff (you!) that actually delivers services to our customers and their families in the 2Gen model! The three year contract begins January 1, 2018.  Not only will be [...]

Board members and staff of Workforce Essentials recently attended the Southeastern Employment & Training Association (SETA) Spring Conference in Jacksonville, Florida.  The conference highlighted innovative and best practices associated with the delivery and administration of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.  Highlighting the four-day conference was John Clement and Charlie Koon, as they presented on the “101 Jobs for the 101st” program. They engaged audience members with an on-line polling survey during the presentation; as well as communicated the mission of the Veteran focused program that helps train and connect transitioning soldiers and their spouses to meaningful employment in the middle [...]

Training and technical assistance is vitally important as we implement the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.  The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration has development a portal of resources available for state and local workforce agencies to utilize called WorkforceGPS.   (www.workforceGPS.org) An innovative approach to training, Workforce GPS features WIOA Wednesday which is an interactive webinar that features a specific WIOA topic. The Clarksville American Job Center (AJC) was selected to present on March 1st to a national audience! The topic for discussion was Implementing Comprehensive, Affiliate, and Co-location Requirements Uder WIOA. Description: This webinar highlighted key Workforce Innovation and [...]

EVERY TEAM NEEDS A GAME PLAN! #TeamTN Gov. Bill Haslam and TNECD Commissioner Randy Boyd, along with  state and local officials, business executives, and economic & workforce development professionals convened last week in Nashville to learn more about Team Tennessee’s innovative game plan and strategy to make Tennessee the number 1 state in the southeast in new job development. The two-day agenda was packed with valuable information on recruitment of new industries and featured recent announcements of Stony Creek Colors and Lowes Fulfillment Center in Robertson County.  In addition to recruitment, rural development was a hot topic in which the Tennessee [...]

The Tennessean has recognized 70 Companies and Organizations in Tennessee as Top Workplaces 2016.  Top Workplaces are not only better places to work but are more likely to be successful than peer organizations. I am delighted to let you know that Workforce Essentials has been named to the list! The evaluation for the Top Workplaces program is based upon feedback from an employee survey that many of you completed several months ago.  Kim Robertson began working with Workplace Dynamics LLC, an independent research company, in mid February as they started the third party survey process. The Top Workplaces evaluation is completed [...]

Charlie Koon, regional workforce development coordinator for Clarksville-based Workforce Essentials Inc., has received the state's Outstanding Workforce Services Employee Award for Middle Tennessee. Each year the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development/Division of Workforce Services and the State Workforce Development Board recognize three "Outstanding Workforce Services Employees" representing West,  Middle and East Tennessee for the program year from July 1 to June 30. The award is given to an employee, in each of the three American Job Center partner regions, who "through their exemplary work has best displayed outstanding service to their customers." "Consideration was given to attitude, initiative, exceptional [...]

The Discovery Park of American was host for Workforce Essentials annual Employee Training and Recognition Program this year. Focusing on the discovery of excellence, Board Chairman Roy Apple and the management team recognized employees that went above and beyond the call of duty to provide outstanding services to our customers. While it is a difficult task to select just one winner per category, this year’s outstanding employees are listed below: I continue to offer my congratulations and appreciation to not only the winners but to all of the outstanding employees of Workforce Essentials.  I know that we will DISCOVER many more [...]