Tennessee's Workforce Development Programs Shine Once Again
Gov. Phil Bredesen congratulated the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development for receiving a $2 million incentive award from the U.S. Department of Labor for excelling all performance goals set for the state's workforce development and education programs. Only nine states qualified for the incentive awards, and Tennessee received the second-highest amount, TDLWD said. Also, Tennessee has won national performance awards of this kind for five consecutive years, Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner James Neeley said.
"I am extremely proud of the work of those at the state and local levels who contributed to the outstanding performance that led to the achievement of this award," Bredesen said. "This award money from the United States Department of Labor will benefit all hard-working Tennesseans who are seeking to better their lives and contribute to our state's economic development."
Tennessee's achievements in this area include having 87 percent of adults who came in without a job obtain employment within three months after completing the program; 91 percent of dislocated workers were placed in jobs and still had them nine months later; and 90 percent of youth participants achieved at least one work readiness skill, TDLWD said.