The leadership of Haywood, Tipton and Lauderdale Counties understands that a high-quality workforce is the most important asset we can provide for our existing industries and those we hope to recruit. There are close to 1 million people within a 45-minute drive of the HTL Region with a workforce of over 600,000. Our region boasts lower average salaries, competitive labor participation rates, with a large segment of our workforce in the manufacturing, transportation and warehousing sectors. Click here for more information on our region and workforce within a 45-minute drive.

Available Talent

A large percentage of the Haywood, Tipton and Lauderdale Counties workforce is in manufacturing, transportation and warehousing – offering a base of talent at wages lower than surrounding metros. And the talent pipeline will continue to grow with more than 30 higher education institutions in the region awarding more than 14,000 degrees and certificates annually.

Available talent is only one aspect of workforce. Keeping talent can be even more critical. Turnover rates in manufacturing for the tri-county region are lower than both regional and state averages – ultimately saving your business unwanted expenses associated with hiring and training new employees.

Our residents want to not only live here but work here. Today, our region is home to more than 6,000 manufacturing employees but there are only 3,600 local manufacturing jobs – meaning our region has more workers than jobs offering a possibility of 2,500 experienced applicants to your business.

Executive Workforce Profiles
Top Five

Industry Sectors

  • 15.6% Manufacturing, Transportation
    & Warehousing
  • 14.1% Retail Trade
  • 13.7% Health Care
  • 8.9% Food Services
  • 8.1% Administrative & Support
Source: JobsEQ Data as of 2022 Q3

Workforce Partners

The leadership of Haywood, Tipton and Lauderdale counties partner with the State of Tennessee to ensure students recognize there are more careers beyond those that require a four-year degree.
Tennessee was the first state in the U.S. to offer free certificate or community college education to its citizens, tuition-free. Through the Tennessee Promise program, any graduating senior can get the certificate or two-year degree they desire, and for some, graduate from high school with the desired credentials and no debt.

Tennessee also offers the Tennessee Reconnect program, which is a last-dollar grant for adults to earn an associate degree or technical certificate, tuition-free. Each of these initiatives makes it easier for employers to find the right talent with the right skills.
The state recently launched the Tennessee Work-Learn-Earn tool, which allows students, advisers and advocates to connect to in-demand job opportunities and the education needed to achieve career goals.

We also partner with Workforce Midsouth who leads the way in connecting job seekers and employers. Through programs and partnerships with service providers across the region, Workforce Mid-South ensures that job seekers have access to opportunities and have the skills employers need. Workforce Mid-South oversees the American Job Centers and Career Leap Youth and Career LAUNCH Young Adult programs.

You want talent that is ready to work. Our region is a certified ACT Work Ready Community and we are leveraging the National Career Readiness Certificate to measure and close the skills gap to support our employees and employers.
The Ford Talent team is working with our educational partners in the region to build a new generation of workers to fill the advanced manufacturing positions of the future.

Higher

Education

Each year our education partners are awarding certificates and degrees in high-demand technical fields such as welding, machinists, electricians, technicians as well as professional degrees in accounting, finance and information technology.

Most of the HTL Region is within a short driving distance from Jackson, TN and Memphis, two major centers of education in the region. Career and technical programs are offered at Tennessee Technology Centers in, Brownsville, Ripley and Covington. These centers provide education and training for high-demand manufacturing, construction and technology careers.

Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology

Community Colleges

4-Year Colleges

High Quality

Workforce Ecosystem

ACT Work-Ready

ACT Work Ready Communities (WRC) empowers states, regions and counties with data, process and tools that drive economic growth.

ACT Work-Ready

Capstone

This ground-breaking course for area high school students aims to improve student understanding and awareness of highly desirable soft skills including professionalism, communication and networking.

Capstone

Pathways to Prosperity

Pathways to Prosperity is a national initiative to reform Career and Technical Education to increase the number of students who complete high school and obtain post-secondary certifications relevant to today’s job market. To view our 2022 event, click here.

Pathways to Prosperity

Certified Production Technician (CPT)

This high school dual enrollment program through Dyersburg State Community College allows eligible high school juniors and seniors to earn college credit before they graduate and creates awareness of career opportunities within the manufacturing industry.

Certified Production Technician (CPT)

Advanced Integrated Industrial Technology

The AIIT Associate of Applied Science Degree program has been developed to enable high school students to earn credit toward an associate degree during high school and prepare them to enter the workforce highly skilled in advanced manufacturing.

Advanced Integrated Industrial Technology

LEAP

LEAP is a statewide, comprehensive structure enabling students in technology centers and community colleges to participate in technical training developed with input from area employers.

LEAP

Leader In Me

The Leader in Me is a whole-school transformation model that acts like the operating system of a computer — it improves the performance of all other programs.

Leader In Me

Drive to 55 Initiatives

The Drive to 55 mission is to ensure 55% of Tennesseans are equipped with a college degree or certificate by the year 2025. Members of the initiative are an active and rapidly growing alliance of private sector partners, community and nonprofit leaders working collectively.

Drive to 55 Initiatives

TN Promise

Tennessee Promise is a Drive to 55 initiative with both a scholarship and mentoring program focused on increasing the number of students that attend college in our state.

TN Promise

TN Reconnect

Tennessee Reconnect is a Drive to 55 initiative that helps adults return to a college campus to complete their postsecondary credential.

TN Reconnect

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