May 21, 2020 - The Southwest Region of Tennessee, in conjunction with The National Rural Education Association (NREA) and the Tennessee Board of Regents, developed the Career Resource Network intending to strengthen economic development in rural communities within the region by improving education and workforce readiness. The Network is fully driven by NS4ed LLC's Pathway2Careers (P2C) flagship program.

NS4ed's P2C career readiness portal is a one-stop resource connecting administrators, teachers, students, and parents with career-related resources specific to their local geographic area. The portal provides access to labor market data within defined local counties to provide effective career resources and training opportunities to improve students' access to viable careers in their own communities, including those in the most rural areas of the state.

Work on the portal connects the efforts of the Tennessee School Board Association directly with those of NREA, which is dedicated to maintaining the vitality of rural school systems across the country. According to Dr. Allen Pratt, Executive Director of NREA and previously of the Tennessee Rural Education Association, "The work NS4ed is doing to make sure our students are linked with high-demand jobs in their own region is invaluable as a cornerstone of building reliable educational and career pathways that support the economic well-being of rural communities and families."

NS4ed's P2C offers Tennessee a critical bridge between education and industry that can help educators connect with the realities of their local job market. Extending beyond simple career awareness, P2C places considerable emphasis on understanding viable career destinations for students within their regions. NS4ed, which is headquartered in Knoxville, has had a strong, ongoing relationship with the educational community of Tennessee, seen at http://swtcrn.com/.

According to Dr. Joseph Goins, CEO of NS4ed, "Through our partnership with the Tennessee School Board Association, NS4ed has developed an education-relevant labor market database that can be accessed by more than 150 school districts in the State. Labor market data in P2C are mapped to each local district, helping Tennessee's school administrators understand regional workforce needs and align program offerings with these demands." P2C has also played an integral role in supporting the completion of the Perkins V comprehensive local needs assessments in Tennessee and directly supported individual school systems in building educational and workforce data intersection maps that provide clear direction for teaching and learning linked to career opportunities.

For any questions, contact eharvey@ns4ed.com.