Page 8 - Murfreesboro, TN Comprehensive Plan: Chapter 7, Economic Development

7.8 Chapter 7

DRAFT 12.02.15

Besides serving as the clearinghouse for several state REGIONAL RETAIL
and Federal economic development programs, the
Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce runs its own
workforce and marketing programs under the title,
Rutherford Works. These include its Career Pathways
Partners (CPP) program, that seeks to link school-age
students with companies looking to develop and groom
their future workforces. The CPP program has numerous
different school-to-work career tracks for students
to choose from, including: Advanced Manufacturing,
Finance, Information Technology, STEM, Transportation
and Hospitality & Tourism among others.
A typical scenario has a student undertaking specific
coursework related to the field combined with for-credit
internships at a sponsoring local company. The idea is to
expose students to different career paths early in their
academic career to improve their academic focus and
performance, as well as their job readiness - thereby
making education relevant to students through applied
jobs-skills training and the prospect of having an “in”
with a sponsoring employer on or before graduation.
The Chamber is also involved in other various
Career Technical Education (CTE), and professional
development programs that involve their facilitation of
partnerships between industry and academia. Many of
these have focused on the area’s burgeoning auto and
related advanced manufacturing companies.

HERE IS HOW IT WORKS:

1 2

Student chooses Local company
appropriate career sponsers student
path internship

4 3

Student gets credit Student learns
for aquiring skills, trade or skill
has real world through course &
experience fieldwork