University of Tennessee gets $750K to train Black and rural workers for a ‘green economy’

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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