Task force will help bridge tech gap in rural TN communities

The state of Tennessee continues to be a strong advocate for rural entrepreneurs and start-ups. LaunchTN is proud to be involved in efforts to create jobs and expand economic opportunities in all of our rural communities.

One of the most encouraging developments for our Tennessee economy is the recent announcement of a new task force created to improve rural development throughout the state.

The Rural Development Task Force will help rural areas of Tennessee achieve economic success by supporting rural entrepreneurship as well as education and training programs. The task force will use the successful ThreeStar program as a guidepost for identifying opportunities and areas of concern. Their mission: to launch sustainable companies that will increase local employment and have a positive impact on rural communities.

Closing the gap

What are some areas of concern? Primary among these is the state’s technology skills gap caused by new technology and lack of resources. Tennessee companies looking for computer programmers often have a difficult time filling their open software positions. Coding is a skill that employers ranging from big corporations to small start-ups need. But homegrown talent can be tough to come by. If these jobs go unfilled, it’s a missed opportunity for our state economy.

With companies throughout Tennessee struggling to find enough computer programmers to fill jobs, how can we begin to address this issue?

A number of local programs are helping to provide the answer, including Co.Starters, Code Catalyst and 100 Girls of Code/TN Code Academy. These programs are graduating students with advanced skills that are relevant to the needs of local companies. Classroom instruction involves hands-on activities that encourage students to think logically and critically, to collaborate, and to create projects that improve our quality of life.

These programs are opening up unparalleled learning opportunities that ultimately lead to employment and support economic growth throughout our state.

LaunchTN is proud to support this initiative in many ways. We are working with Tennessee’s Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD) to help identify the rural organizations that are eligible to run these programs within their communities. These organizations will receive support and resources from partners at Co.Starters, Code Catalyst and 100 Girls of Code/TN Code Academy. LaunchTN will also be providing funding for these organizations to operate rural entrepreneurship programs.

Tennessee is in the midst of major economic growth, and there is potential for even more development in the future with  increased skills enhancement and entrepreneur training provided across all regions. It will be a very exciting time to see this rural strategic plan come to life as well as economic growth in every corner of this state.

Charlie Brock is CEO of Launch Tennessee (www.launchtn.org), a public-private partnership focused on supporting the development of high-growth companies in Tennessee with the ultimate goal of making Tennessee the No. 1 state in the Southeast for entrepreneurs to start and grow a company.