Collaborative Efforts to Enhance Workforce Development
On November 7th, 2024, CMTA’s Ben Buckner participated in a significant meeting at the Tennessee State Capitol with Governor Bill Lee, ASHRAE President Dennis Knight, Regional Director Scott Peach, and Nashville ASHRAE Govt. Affairs Director Jim Murphy. The meeting focused on the group’s shared objective: improving educational opportunities for students and professionals to cultivate a highly skilled HVAC-R workforce in Tennessee. This collaborative effort aimed to identify synergies and generate strategies to propel both the state of Tennessee and ASHRAE in advancing this important initiative.
Known for his longstanding commitment to workforce development, Governor Lee established the GIVE Grant Program in 2019, which bridges “skills gaps” in regional labor pools by aligning educational opportunities with workforce needs. Under Governor Lee’s Direction, Tennessee has also invested $900 million to revamp the state’s trade schools, aiming to train 10,000 skilled tradesmen annually while expanding STEM education across the state. Dennis Knight’s ASHRAE Presidential Theme, “Empowering Our Workforce: Building a Sustainable Future,” closely aligns with Lee’s vision, as Knight seeks to implement similar programs across ASHRAE chapters nationwide. Together, these leaders are working to identify collaborative projects that leverage ASHRAE’s network to support and extend Tennessee’s innovative workforce models.
CMTA was honored to join this meaningful dialogue, contributing to initiatives that will empower Tennessee’s workforce for a sustainable future. With two offices in Tennessee and over 1290 employees nationwide, we are passionate about training the next generation of sustainability professionals who will shape the future of the built environment.