The University of Tennessee at Knoxville has received a $750,000 grant to boost an initiative to connect people from the inner city of Knoxville and rural areas of the Southern Appalachians with “green economy” jobs that promote sustainability and environmental conservation.

The initiative − under the UT leadership of professor Jon Shefner, Department of Sociology head Stephanie Bohon and associate professor Mitsunori Misawa − is called East Tennessee Works, and it is designed to connect 5,000 East Tennesseans with career opportunities in a low-carbon, inclusive green economy.

The Brookings Institution identified Knoxville in 2011 as a large and fast-growing area for the green economy. Using the grant, Shefner said, East Tennessee Works will increase training access in Black and rural communities he says have been underrepresented.

UT will operate as a middleman in the job market to connect employers, workers, training programs, labor organizations and community groups offering services such as child care and transportation.

“We will be funding many of these organizations that provide these services,” Shefner said in a news release. “We’ll be bringing them together in ways that help recruit potential workers, and we will be reaching out to industry (partners) to find out what their hiring possibilities are, their specific needs and how to bring them together with the newly trained, newly skilled folks.”

East Tennessee Works is another way to meet workforce demands

The initiative will work to meet the demands for skilled labor by focusing on underrepresented workers within the green economy. Many people aren’t using their skills, are underemployed or are working several jobs for not enough pay, Shefner said.

The initiative aims to train employees, help them transition to positions that offer $30 or more per hour and connect them with opportunities to keep growing.

East Tennessee Works prioritizes green jobs, with a focus on companies working toward conserving the environment through steps such as reducing ecological footprints, building energy-efficient buildings and installing solar panels.

Through this initiative, UT is working with these organizations in Knox, Anderson and Campbell counties:

• TELOS Global, electric vehicle parts manufacturer
• Nonprofit organization Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development
• Community Organizations Networking Neighborhoods Encouraging Change Together Ministries
• A local labor council of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations

Grant will help Knoxville’s green economy growth

The grant comes from the Jobs for the Future Quality Green Jobs Regional Challenge. Only six teams received the grant, which is designed to build on university efforts to connect academia and community service. This was the final round of funding from the challenge.

“These recipients embody the forward-thinking solutions we need when it comes to addressing the dual challenges of climate change and economic inequality,” Taj Eldridge, managing director for climate innovation at JFFLabs, said in a news release. “We’re proud to support these organizations as they create new opportunities for their communities and develop solutions that contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future.”

Keenan Thomas is a higher education reporter. Email keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter @specialk2real.

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The Tennessee Titans made a bold offseason move to acquire star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. It was a move that many thought would change the outlook of the team’s defense.

After being acquired in the trade, Sneed was given a massive four-year, $76.4 million contract extension. That deal has added extra pressure and more eyes on Sneed’s performance.

Unfortunately, Sneed’s season has been completely derailed by injuries.

Right now, he is expected to miss Week 11 as well. That would mark his fifth straight game that Sneed has missed.

Due to his long-term absence, fans and some in the media have started questioning whether Sneed was doing everything he can to get back on the field.

With that speculation starting to work its way through the rumor mill, one Titans coach wasn’t having it. Dennard Wilson, the team’s defensive coordinator, fired back aggressively at the notion.

“He is not a quitter,” Wilson said. “That’s what I can tell you about the young man. He’s trying to do everything he can to get out on the football field, and when he’s healthy enough to get on the football field, he’ll play. There is no quit in him.”

Wilson took his thoughts to the next level as well. He called Sneed a leader for the team.

“He’s a leader,” Wilson said. “He’s a tough guy. He wants to be out there and fight with his teammates. Obviously right now, he has an injury and he’s not ready to play. Every day, he’s in the meeting room. Every day, he asks questions. He’s helping the young guys. He’s all dialed in. He’s 100 percent with this organization and this defense.”

So far this season, Sneed has only been able to play in five games. He has racked up 23 tackles and no other statistics to note. Clearly, he has not made the kind of impact that the team was hoping to see.

At just 27 years of age, Sneed still has plenty of time to right the ship in Tennessee. His first season may go down as a disappointment, but that will only motivate him more.

Hopefully, Sneed will be able to get back on the field in the near future. It doesn’t appear that he will return in Week 11, but the star cornerback will continue working hard to return for his team.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

The Georgia Bulldogs will have a depleted running backs room for Saturday’s showdown against the No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers.

Starting running back Trevor Etienne is not expected to suit up Saturday while nursing an upper body injury. He initially sustained the injury during Georgia’s win over Florida earlier this month and despite featuring in limited snaps against Ole Miss last week, he won’t take the field against the Vols.

Etienne had been considered questionable for the game at Samford Stadium, but Thursday’s injury report saw him downgraded to out.

In addition to Etienne, the Bulldogs could be without running backs Cash Jones, who is listed as questionable, and Branson Robinson, who has been out for a few weeks. Nate Frazier, a true freshman, would be in line for a big workload if Jones is unavailable.

Etienne, a junior, is in his first season at Georgia after transferring from Florida during the offseason. He’s rushed 95 times for 477 yards with seven touchdowns this season.