Aligning Land, Learning, and Labor in Middle Tennessee

By Jaclyn Tidwell | Programs & Strategy for Cumberland Region Tomorrow 

This blog is the seventh of a series based on the November 2025 Power of 10 Summit. 

It started with a simple but grounding idea: growth doesn’t happen in silos.

In Middle Tennessee, opportunity sits at the intersection of how we use land, how we educate people, and how we connect them to work. When any one of those breaks down—when housing is too expensive, transit too limited, or education disconnected from real jobs—the system strains. When they align, communities thrive.

That was the animating thread of this Power of 10 Summit conversation, moderated by Dr. Candice McQueen, President of Lipscomb University, and featuring leaders who see the full ecosystem every day: Dr. Shanna Jackson of Nashville State Community College, Dr. Paul Stumb of Cumberland University, and Daniel Rowe of HCA Healthcare.

Rather than abstract theory, the discussion stayed rooted in lived realities—of students trying to get to class, employers trying to build pipelines, and institutions trying to adapt fast enough to a changing region.

Good Jobs Alone Aren’t Enough

Early in the conversation, one truth landed clearly. As one panelist put it, “Good jobs alone aren’t enough if people can’t get to them.”

Transportation, housing, and affordability surfaced again and again—not as side issues, but as core workforce challenges.

Dr. Shanna Jackson described what this looks like for Nashville State’s students, who come from seven counties and represent the most diverse community college population in Tennessee. Many don’t own cars. For them, distance isn’t measured in miles, but in hours.

A trip that takes 15 minutes by car can stretch beyond an hour by bus. And in some communities, public transportation simply doesn’t exist.

“If you can’t get to class,” Jackson said plainly, “you can’t finish class.”

That reality shapes everything—from retention to completion to whether education actually translates into opportunity.

Housing as a Workforce Constraint

Transportation wasn’t the only barrier on the table. Housing—especially affordability—emerged as another pressure point that quietly undermines workforce goals.

Dr. Paul Stumb shared a striking example from Cumberland University. Despite being a small institution, student housing is already maxed out. Nearby rentals have become increasingly unaffordable, pushing students farther away and complicating daily life.

The challenge isn’t theoretical. It’s logistical—and immediate.

At the same time, Tennessee has made meaningful progress on access through programs like Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect, which eliminate tuition barriers for many students pursuing associate degrees.

Those programs open doors. But as panelists emphasized, affordability doesn’t stop at tuition. Housing, transportation, childcare, and time all shape whether students can walk through those doors—and stay.

Education Isn’t a Factory Line

As the conversation turned toward aligning education with workforce needs, the panel resisted easy answers.

Yes, labor market data matters. Yes, employers need talent now. But higher education doesn’t operate like a manufacturing line—and shouldn’t pretend it does.

“In manufacturing, you put common ingredients into a process and get predictable output,” one panelist noted. “In higher ed, those ingredients are people—with real lives and real constraints.”

That difference changes everything.

Universities and community colleges must prepare students with durable skills—critical thinking, communication, teamwork—while also responding to rapidly shifting demands in healthcare, technology, and skilled trades. And they must do it within regulatory, financial, and human limits.

Which is why partnership, not prediction, became the dominant theme.

When Partnerships Actually Work

The most hopeful moments of the session came through concrete examples of collaboration that move beyond memoranda and into practice.

Healthcare featured prominently. From co-created medical assisting programs to rural nursing pipelines, panelists described partnerships where education and industry start with the end in mind.

In one example, students are hired after just one semester, earning wages while continuing their education. In another, training happens directly on hospital campuses, eliminating transportation barriers and strengthening retention.

“We have to take the training to the people,” Daniel Rowe emphasized.

Across these stories, a pattern emerged: successful partnerships don’t just align curriculum with jobs. They address the full context of students’ lives—work schedules, transportation costs, childcare needs, and long-term pathways.

Preparing for a World Shaped by AI

No forward-looking workforce conversation would be complete without addressing artificial intelligence.

Rather than fear it, panelists urged institutions to engage it directly.

Students, they argued, need exposure—not avoidance. Employers are already using AI in clinical settings, logistics, and decision-making. Graduates who can’t work alongside these tools risk being left behind.

“Don’t shy away from it,” one leader advised. “Make sure students are comfortable using it—ethically and effectively.”

The challenge now is speed: helping faculty, curricula, and institutions keep pace with technologies evolving faster than traditional academic timelines allow.

Thinking—and Building—Regionally

As the session closed, the focus widened.

Workforce development, the panel agreed, is not a competitive sport. It’s a team effort—across institutions, sectors, and county lines.

“We have to remember that we are a region,” one panelist said simply.

That means public and private partners working together. Competitors collaborating. Systems aligning. And above all, remembering that the goal isn’t just economic growth—it’s access to opportunity.

When land use, learning, and work move in sync, the region doesn’t just grow. It becomes a place where people can actually build lives.

And that, ultimately, is the work ahead.