During yesterday’s Executive Committee meeting of the First Tennessee Development District Board of Directors, the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Elizabethton, was formally recognized for becoming the first educational institution to sign on as Caring Workplace. On becoming a Caring Workplace employer, TCAT Elizabethton president Dr. David Hicks shared that “the TCAT’s work with justice involved individuals is valuable to him and his team, and they are committed to creating a skills trained workforce for employers in the region.”
By joining the Caring Workplaces network, TCAT Elizabethton becomes the 73rd company or organization to become part of this Federal Department of Labor funded initiative. The Caring Workplaces Initiative seeks to work with individuals who are justice involved or in recovery and provide resources to ensure they are job ready and ready to be matched with certified Caring Workplaces employers.
Through Caring Workplaces, employers are provided leadership training, HR policy review and training for all employees. Clients work with certified peer recovery specialists and American Job Center personnel to obtain all the necessary documents to be eligible for hire and to learn interview skills and job readiness skills. In acknowledging the importance of the TCAT becoming a Caring Workplace, Board Chair Carter County Mayor Patty Woodby shared how important it is to have a skilled workforce regardless of where the pipeline is developed. Caring Workplaces also dovetails nicely with regional efforts underway at the recently announced Recovery Center in Roan Mountain.
Anyone interested in learning more about Caring Workplaces, please visit www.caringworkplaces.org.
For questions about this or other District News, please contact Mark Stevans, mstevans@ftdd.org