The First Tennessee Development District (FTDD) held the 5th Annual E2E Summit at the Ron Ramsey Regional Ag Center.
Sponsored by the Bristol TN/VA Chamber of Commerce, Elizabethton Chamber of Commerce, Greene County Partnership, Johnson City Chamber, Kingsport Chamber, NeTREP, NETWORKS Sullivan Partnership, Northeast Tennessee Local Workforce Development Board, and the Unicoi County Industrial Development Board. E2E is a convening of employers, k-12 and post-secondary educators, and elected officials, designed to address workforce challenges and pursue opportunities.
Attendees discussed topics such as employee retention, hybrid work environments, work-based learning and internships. Updates were provided from goals outlined at the 2021 event including progress with Diversity, Equality and Inclusion efforts, childcare and Caring Workplaces.
In addition to those topics, a new area of discussion focused on hiring veterans and ensuring organizations are veteran ready, not just veteran friendly.
A panel of entrepreneurs including Crown Cutz, The Coffee Company and Greenher Landscaping discussed their journey in the region. Employer presenters and participants included Bank of Tennessee, Bell Textron, Inc, Burleson Construction, Cardinal Glass, Crenlo, Dreicor, Eastman, Hard Rock Bristol, and Smarty Pants.
For questions related to this story, or any other FTDD programs, please contact Mark Stevans, mstevans@ftdd.org.