At the beginning of the COVID pandemic in March 2020, the leaders of Nashville State Community College shut down each of the college’s locations, including the East Davidson Campus north of the airport.¶
Nashville State Community College President Dr. Shanna L. Jackson says, unlike other campuses, leaders opted to hold off reopening East Davidson for one specific reason.¶
“We decided not to open East Davidson until we had a clear vision of what was needed to serve the existing and emerging needs of the workforce and our community. And I think you can see today it was worth the wait,” said Jackson.¶
Partnership Creates Workforce Training Center¶
That new vision for East Davidson officially opened to students in January in the form of a Workforce Training Center designed to simplify the path to employment, career advancement, and continued education.¶
Through a partnership with the Northern Middle Tennessee Workforce Board and the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, students are now able to access multiple services under one roof at the East Davidson Campus.¶
That includes workforce training programs and career navigation through Nashville State’s Center for Workforce Development and Continuing Education, along with adult education classes, resume assistance, job search support, career counseling, and technology resources through the American Job Center at the location operated by the Department of Labor.¶
“I am so thrilled that we can offer this to Nashvillians who really want an opportunity to not just get a job but a career in a viable pathway that will not just sustain them but their families for years to come,” said Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Deniece Thomas.¶
Commissioner Thomas joined college staff and other workforce and civic leaders on Friday at a celebration of the re-launched East Davidson Campus.¶
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell was among them, and he pointed to the opportunity this partnership offers.¶
“It provides residents with opportunities for economic mobility and employers with resources to upscale employees,” said Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell. “We are trying to co-create a better Nashville for our residents, all of them.”¶
Taking Learning into Communities¶
Nashville State leaders also showcased a new tool to help reach residents who may have challenges traveling to the campus.¶
The community college now has a mobile classroom that it will be able to use to serve students in locations beyond its seven campuses.¶
“The mobile classroom, purchased through a grant, extends the reach of this mission even further. Bringing Nashville State’s training programs directly into the communities, neighborhoods, and job sites across Tennessee. It truly ensures that opportunity meets people where they are,” said Nashville State Center for Workforce Development & Continuing Education Executive Director Joseph Johnson.¶
