Supporters say proposed legislation would reimagine how Tennessee uses data to connect workers with jobs

Last January burger chain In-N-Out drew cheers from Governor Bill Lee and other state leaders when the company decided to bring 277 new jobs to Tennessee and invest $125.5 million establishing an eastern United States hub in Franklin.“In every decision I make, I always consider what my family would want. I have no doubt that my grandparents, dad, and uncle would be proud of this decision to grow our associate family and serve even more amazing customers beginning in Nashville and the surrounding areas,” said In-N-Out owner and president Lynsi Snyder.In-N-Out is following similar high profile job announcements by companies like Ford and Amazon in recent years, but one of the state’s educational leaders says Tennessee could be doing even more to attract jobs and connect its workforce to them.Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) president and CEO David Mansouri says too few of students are receiving the education and training needed to enter the workforce, access these jobs, and succeed in their careers.“What if we knew how well high schools in each district are preparing students for college or jobs in their regions? What if we knew which higher education programs led to the highest job placement rates and job retention in a particular industry five years later,” asked Mansouri. “What if employers considering starting or growing a business in a region of our state could look at data to assess our talent pipeline in that unique region?”Mansouri believes newly filed legislation by Halls Representative Chris Hurt will help address the data deficiency.The legislation would establish an Education and Workforce Data Advisory Committee that looks at education and workforce data together and then make it available to the public. The committee would be made up of the commissioners of education and workforce-focused agencies and tasked with making sure the state’s data is serving Tennessee’s education and workforce needs.It would also create publicly available dashboards that educators, employers, and communities could use to plan for the future of work and education in Tennessee.“To ensure all students are prepared for success in the workforce and can achieve economic independence, it is essential that we make data-driven decisions that ensure our students’ educational experiences prepare them for the jobs that will be available to them in the future,” said Mansouri.The legislation advanced out of the House K-12 Subcommittee Monday and faces a vote in the House Education Administration on Wednesday.