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In response to local industry demand for skilled workers across multiple sectors and through support from JPMorgan Chase & Co, the Hamilton County Department of Education, in partnership with Chattanooga 2.0 and other community organizations, recently announced the launch of the Future Ready Institutes this fall in 11 Hamilton County high schools.
The Future Ready Institutes will offer integrated instruction around career themes. Students will be assessed for aptitude and interest in relevant career pathways reflective of job demands over the next 10 years. Once in their Institute, students will work in a smaller learning community with a team of teachers across multiple disciplines. In addition, each Institute will partner with employers and local colleges to further add to the students’ learning experiences.
“Chattanooga 2.0 is excited to collaborate with industry and education partners in launching the Future Ready Institutes,” says Jared Bigham, Ph.D., Executive Director for Chattanooga 2.0. “These Institutes will help fill a critical gap in supporting our community’s workforce development by helping more students graduate high school with a defined skillset in a particular sector and market-ready credentials should they choose to go to work after graduation.”
The business partnerships are a critical piece within the Future Ready Institutes, offering much more than just financial support. Each Institute partner will collaborate with students, offering guest speakers, mentors, field trips, job shadowing opportunities, internships, and opportunities for teachers to participate in externships. In return for their investment of time and resources, Hamilton County Schools will create a stable talent pipeline into the workforce.
Local employers and community champions Erlanger Health System and Unum have each committed to supporting a Future Ready Institute. JPMorgan Chase & Co. announced their support for Hamilton County Department of Education with a $50,000 grant to the Future Ready Institutes.
The Future Ready Institutes will launch this fall, each inside a Hamilton County high school and partnered with a local business or industry leader. The goal is to begin instruction with 100 students this fall and grow the program by 100 students each year over the following three years.
Read more about the Future Ready Institutes here.
Chattanooga 2.0 is a community-led movement to transform education and workforce opportunities in Hamilton County. By engaging the Chattanooga community around initiatives to reshape and improve public education outcomes for all students, Chattanooga 2.0 supports local talent in taking full advantage of the workforce opportunities that are available.
