Skilled Careers, Professional Learning & Business Support (SCP-LABS)

SYNOPSIS

Nearly half of SCP’s original twenty Planning Projects were focused, in one way or another, on workforce skills development and business support services.  Creation of SCP’s Skilled Careers, Professional Learning and Business Support (“SCP•LABS”) will incorporate the objectives of those Projects, and more.

Both existing and new businesses in our area will need people with the essential skills required to keep them going, and growing.  At the same time, every individual in our region’s workforce needs and deserves the opportunity to improve their career satisfaction and earning potential. And our young adults need to know they can have a rewarding career right here, without ever leaving home.

At the intersection of these needs is specialized knowledge.  SCP believes that the establishment of an affordable career learning and business support center — focused on the specific opportunities and needs of our local economy — can provide the critical knowledge and skills to prepare both our citizens and businesses for future success.

By delivering courses relevant to our area’s economic future, we can prepare our young adults for meaningful careers right here at home. Adults already in the workforce can update their skillsets, or master new ones.  And both business owners and entrepreneurs can find trusted advisors to help them navigate financial, legal, operational, human resource, customer service and other business challenges.

This Project will inventory existing opportunities for relevant, local workforce learning, while advocating for development of courses in areas not already offered. Below are some of the areas in which SCP•LABS could help our citizens benefit, while meeting the important needs of our region’s evolving economy:

I :: Business and Entrepreneur Support

Many great ideas for local businesses fail, not for lack of effort by our entrepreneurs, but because they may not have essential business knowledge, like the ability to create and execute a business plan, attract financing, find talent, or execute an online marketing campaign. Even established businesses can reach a point where additional skills or expert advice could be critical to survival or continued growth. 

This Project seeks to create a business incubator and support space, where resources to address these needs can be gathered and connected. Both new start-ups as well as existing businesses can find technical assistance and education here, to help improve their chances of long-term success.

Knowledge, services and resources that can be offered include:

• Business planning and forecasting

• Finance, tax and accounting

• Human Resources, onboarding, training

• Operations and logistics

• Marketing (both traditional and online)

• Research and data analysis

• Regulatory and reporting compliance

SCP has identified additional specific areas of need, including the following:

II :: Youth Engagement Curriculum

Including our high schoolers and young adults in efforts to improve our area’s economy is critical to the future of the region. For decades, we have experienced “brain drain” — where our young adults leave this area for better career opportunities elsewhere.  Bright young minds are one of our area’s most critical resources, and a significant objective of SCP•LABS is the retention of our future workers and leaders.

III :: Hospitality Worker Curriculum

A visitor’s experience in our area is often determined by interactions with our local hospitality workforce. Friendly and knowledgeable hospitality personnel, capable of answering the most-often-asked visitor questions, can result in favorable online visitor reviews of our area (or unfavorable reviews, if the visitor had a poor experience). This Project seeks to facilitate relevant training and certifications for front-line hospitality and customer service workers, including “local knowledge” such as area geography and history, as well as practical information visitors are most likely to want to know.

IV :: Guide, Docent & Interpreter Curriculum

One of today’s significant trends in outdoor tourism is providing visitors with a guided (or “curated”) experience — basically, a guided tour, introductory talk, or even a costumed historic re-enactor or storyteller. With the rich natural features and deep cultural history of our region, there are opportunities for knowledgeable local citizens to provide these guided experiences, particularly during higher visitor-traffic periods. This Project (closely related to our other Project on facilitating guided experiences) will identify and facilitate opportunities to provide certification-level training for guides, docents and interpretive specialists and, with the support of local businesses, to develop organized ways to promote the availability of guided experiences to our visiting public. The end result is to give visitors more reasons to extend their stay in our region, which, over time, will help elevate the area’s economy.

V :: High-Angle and Rescue Training Curriculum

The outdoor recreation part of our economy is large, and growing. Because our area is so highly regarded for hiking, climbing, backcountry camping and other active outdoor activities, it is inevitable that there will be times when visitors or even local citizens find themselves in harm’s way. Rescue procedures in rough terrain are challenging, and this Project aims to identify and facilitate more opportunities for those interested in careers as first responders, including advanced classes to prepare them to respond effectively, even in the most challenging situations.

VI :: Research and Visitor Analytics Curriculum

Understanding the customer’s needs, expectations and interactions with a business is key to its success.  This curriculum will introduce business leaders and entrepreneurs to the techniques for gathering and assessing visitor and customer data, whether from direct, on-site questionnaires, post-visit online surveys, or external sources, such as Google Business Profiles, web and social media analytics, and contracted or governmental data resources.  It will also cover the basics of online marketing optimization and data analysis for any small business.

VII :: Retail Event Production & Logistics Curriculum

This Project will plan, prioritize and execute visitor-focused events in the region, each designed to connect visitors with the activities and services of local businesses and merchants. The Project team will investigate options such as competitions (e.g., cycling, frisbee golf, pickleball, etc.), cultural heritage events (e.g., a Miners Path/history event at the OHV Park), community-centric events and holiday-themed events that celebrate outdoor recreation, downtowns, and cultural heritage — all with a primary objective of increasing visitor spending at local businesses while offering unique experiences and activities both visitors and residents.

PROJECT STATUS

A grant application has been made to the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (“ARC”) Pathways program, for funding generally associated with these types of education and training opportunities.  SCP is awaiting word regarding the application’s approval.  However, additional workforce, education and training grants will likely be needed in order for this Project to reach its full potential.

OPPORTUNITIES

• Having an affordable career learning and business support center in the South Cumberland region would benefit both start-up and established businesses.

• SCP•LABS would provide a local, affordable resource for improving career skillsets of the existing workforce, while also offering young adults a way to enter the local workforce with skills valued by employers, so they can build a career without leaving the area.

• SCP•LABS would help assure that a properly trained workforce is always available to any company, not only companies working toward development of the region’s outdoor recreation economy.

• SCP•LABS would provide resources to encourage local entrepreneurs to create high-potential new businesses in this area, taking advantage of its business support services and specialized learning opportunities to improve chances for its success.

CHALLENGES

• Curriculum offerings and learning standards will need to be established.

• Instructors will need to be engaged for each course offering.

• A tuition structure will need to be established; perhaps also scholarship resources?

• Learning may need to be offered either in-person or virtually.

• An online registration/attendance/progress tracking system will need to be obtained. System should be accessible (with relevant limits) by instructors and students.  

• An online registration and payment system will be an integral part of this initiative.

• Counselors/advisors/guides will need to be engaged to help students navigate course offerings, registration, fees, scholarships, and other challenges students may face.

PROJECT NEEDS

• A Project Coordinator is needed to help identify resources for curriculum, instructors, online data systems and more.

• A Project Budget should be prepared, and updated as the Project evolves.

• An advisory committee of experienced academic leaders may be needed, as well.

• For in-person learning, local venues need to be identified, reserved and funded.  

• Online registration/attendance/progress tracking/tuition payment system(s) must be evaluated, procured, and implemented.

• Close coordination with State of Tennessee Economic Development, Higher Education, and Department of Labor leadership will be essential. 

• This is a large-scale, ongoing Project that will require ongoing SCP involvement.