This virtual series built shared understanding of statewide priorities, elevated real-world examples, and created sustained momentum leading up to and following the 2026 Future Forward Summit.
About the Series
Webinars focused on key levers for strengthening education-to-career pathways in Tennessee, grounded in both statewide priorities and practical implementation.
Webinar: Reimagining High School for Economic Opportunity
Download the webinar slide deck.
The first webinar in the series focused on reimagining high school to better connect students to workforce opportunities.
The session introduced Tennessee’s vision for how early postsecondary opportunities (EPSOs), expanded work-based learning, and industry-recognized credentials of value — paired with individualized advising — serve as critical building blocks for strong, coherent pathways.
Participants explored how these strategies can help students earn college credit, credentials, and career-relevant experience while still in high school, supporting smoother transitions into postsecondary education and the workforce. A panel of state and national leaders involved in this work offered insights into how we can design and scale pathways that deliver real value for students and employers alike.
Featured Speakers
- Deborah Knoll, Assistant Commissioner of Postsecondary, Workforce, CTE, and Military Readiness, Tennessee Department of Education
- Scott Laband, President, Colorado Succeeds
- Dr. Scott Langford, Superintendent, Sumner County Schools
- Presented and moderated by: Mary Cypress Metz, Senior Vice President of Strategy, SCORE
Webinar: Workforce Pell and the Opportunity of Nondegree Pathways
The second webinar in the Future Forward Series focused on how Workforce Pell can create new opportunities to advance Tennessee’s education-to-career pathways and expand access to nondegree credentials.
Workforce Pell is a new federal expansion of the Pell Grant program that will provide financial aid for high-quality short-term workforce training programs. For many Tennesseans, this change could open the door to faster, more flexible pathways to high-wage, in-demand skills, and credentials aligned with workforce needs.
During this webinar, SCORE presented insights about the increasing popularity and opportunity of nondegree credentials while elevating the significance of the Workforce Pell program. Attendees heard about the program’s components and the role this initiative can play in advancing nondegree credential pathways to economic opportunity and setting up Tennessee for long-term success. The presentation was followed by a facilitated conversation with national thought leaders examining how states can implement Workforce Pell effectively and ensure programs deliver real value for learners and employers.
Key Insights:
- What Workforce Pell is and program details
- How Workforce Pell can expand access to high-quality short-term programs
- What defines strong, high-value nondegree credentials
- How providers and employers can learn to better align programs with workforce demand
- The implementation strategies that can help increase credential attainment in in-demand, high-wage fields
Speakers:
- Dr. Stuart Andreason, Executive Director of Programs, Burning Glass Institute
- Dr. Preston Cooper, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
- Ethan Pollack, Senior Director of Financing the Future Initiative, Jobs for the Future
- Briana Thomas, Chief Strategy Officer, Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development
- Presented and moderated by: Mary Cypress Metz, Senior Vice President of Strategy, SCORE
Webinar: Pathways at Scale: Leveraging Education for Economic Development
Building on the ideas and momentum from the 2026 Future Forward Summit, the third webinar in the Future Forward series, explored what it will take for Tennessee to strengthen and scale high-quality education-to-career pathways that support economic independence and meet workforce needs.
In this session, SCORE’s Senior Vice President of Strategy, Mary Cypress Metz, was joined by Nick Moore, acting assistant secretary in the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education in the U.S. Department of Education, for a virtual fireside chat. They further explored key themes from the summit, with a focus on the key components of what it takes for states like Tennessee to move from disconnected systems to a student-focused education-to-career system at scale. The discussion featured insight around a model pathways governance, coordinated systems, and how a statewide skills and competency-based system can help deepen employer engagement and drive meaningful, lasting impact for students and communities across the state.
Drawing on federal priorities and lessons from the state of Alabama, this conversation highlighted practical steps that Tennessee can take to build on positive momentum for pathways and develop a coherent, aligned pathways system that supports education-to-career connections for students at scale.
This conversation covered:
- How statewide skills and competency-based databases can better connect what students learn and earn to in-demand careers that lead to self-sustaining wages.
- The role of employer engagement in shaping effective, scalable pathways.
- Lessons from Nick Moore’s prior experience in Alabama, drawing on the Alabama Talent Triad as a model for coordinated, statewide impact across students, education providers, and employers.
- Key actions Tennessee can take to expand access to high-quality pathways across all communities.