A strong workforce is one that is inclusive and provides opportunities for all residents seeking employment and opportunities for growth. Learn from colleagues that have developed promising workforce development programs tailored to their communities that tap into local and regional assets to target a diverse group of individuals. -Joe Barker, Executive Director, Southwest Tennessee Development District, Jackson, TN -Judge Steve Henry, Webster County, KY, and Secretary, Green River Area Development District, Owensboro, KY -Terry Treadaway, Director of Workforce Development, Three Rivers Planning and Development District, Pontotoc, MS -Moderator: Matt McCauley, CEO, Networks Northwest, Traverse City, MI

1. Portland NADO Annual
Training Conference
OCTOBER 18, 2021

2. TENNESSEE DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS

3. MEMPHIS REGIONAL MEGASITE

4. WHAT IS A MEGASITE?
• LARGE PARCEL OF LAND OF AT LEAST 1,000 ACRES
• COMPLETE ENVIRONMENTAL AND GEOTECHNICAL TESTING
• PROXIMITY TO INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS
• ACCESS TO RAIL AND MAJOR AIRPORT
• ACCESS TO SUPPLIERS
• PLENTIFUL LABOR SUPPLY
• FULLY SERVED BY UTILITIES

5. 2010
How do we, as an organization,
support the goal of recruiting an
OEM to the Megasite??

6. 2010: SWTDD Conference
SWTDD sponsored a two-day conference bringing
local elected officials, educators, economic
developers, and private sector stakeholders
together to discuss building the foundation to
support job creation and the Megasite.

7. It was decided at this conference
that developing a quality, trained
workforce was the biggest challenge
in making the investment in the
Megasite successful.

9. FACT:
Only 13.9% of the residents in our region
25 years and older had a Bachelor’s
Degree or Higher, as compared to
Tennessee’s statewide average of 23.8%.

10. REDI was developed to
encourage students to
complete high school and to
continue with some form of
post-secondary education.

11. STRATEGY:
Each county participating was asked to
invest $15,000 “seed money” to support
SWTDD in hiring staff to begin a mentoring
program in each of our high schools.These
mentors worked with each high school
senior to complete the FAFSA and to explore
all grants available (PELL, lottery, etc.)

12. 2011: REDI Funding
SWTDD applied for a College Access
Challenge Grant throughTHEC and was
awarded $1.2 Million (over four years) to
expand staff for mentoring students and
the placement of transitional coaches in
two community colleges.

13. RESULT:
REDI was so successful in FAFSA
completion rate and number of
students attending post-secondary
institutions that the State ofTennessee
took the REDI model statewide under
theTennessee Promise Program.

14. All students in Tennessee
can now receive “last dollar”
scholarships to attend a
Tennessee College of Applied
Technology or a Tennessee
community college free of
tuition.

15. The number of adults 25+ years
old in our region that now have
a Bachelor’s Degree has
increased from 13.9% to 21.3%.

16. September 2021: A Huge Payoff
Ford Motor Company announced they
would invest $5.6 Billion to build a 3,600
acre Mega Campus on the Memphis
Regional Megasite called “Blue Oval City”
creating 6,000 jobs to manufacture the
next generation of electric F-Series
trucks.