Future Forward Innovation Grant

• University of Tennessee System: The Cocke County Work-to-Learn initiative pilots a new model that helps learners in rural Tennessee earn a bachelor’s degree while building a career in their local communities. By leveraging prior learning, work-based experiences, and industry credentials, this model creates more flexible pathways in fields such as education, engineering technology, nursing, management, and information technology. Through partnerships with local employers, students gain valuable work experience as they prepare for careers that strengthen Tennessee’s rural workforce and propel their own success. Key Partners: Hope Nation and Cocke County Cradle-to-Career Coalition (C5).
• Seeding Success: The Memphis Construction and Infrastructure Talent Pathway creates an accelerated education-to-work pathway for Memphis students and young adults. This innovative model addresses two challenges: helping more students access high-wage construction and infrastructure careers while meeting employers’ growing demand for skilled workers. Students receive technical training, career coaching, supportive services, work-based learning, and direct access to registered apprenticeships that prepare them for long-term success. This pathway responds to the growing need for creating a stronger pipeline of prepared talent for employers and more opportunities for Memphis students to build meaningful careers. Key Partners: Tennessee Builders Education Foundation,  Good People Inc., and West Tennessee Home Builders Association.
• Libertas School of Memphis: The Skilled Trades and Community Development Pathway prepares students for high-wage careers in construction and the skilled trades. Beginning in middle school and continuing into high school, students explore careers, earn industry-recognized credentials, complete dual enrollment, and participate in work-based learning. Rather than learning through classroom simulation alone, students will participate in projects rebuilding neighborhoods while developing workforce-aligned skills in Frayser and North Memphis. This model expands access to economic opportunity for students, helps address workforce shortages in the skilled trades, and strengthens the communities where students live and learn. Key Partners: Montgomery Martin Contractors, Frayser CDC, Harris Homeownership Foundation, Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Memphis, Moore Tech, and University of Memphis.
• Battelle Education, Tennessee STEM Innovation Network: The Nuclear Leadership Pathway creates a new career and technical education pathway that prepares Tennessee students for careers in the state’s expanding nuclear energy sector through a stackable credential sequence leading to an Associate of Applied Science in Nuclear Technology concurrently with, or shortly after, high school. By embedding industry-recognized credentials and partnering with employers and higher education institutions, the initiative creates a clear pathway from high school to postsecondary education, equipping students with the technical skills, industry-recognized credentials, and connections needed to pursue careers in the nuclear energy sector. Key Partners: Knox County Schools, Tennessee Valley Authority, Roane State Community College, and University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
• Sumner County Schools: Sumner County is creating a districtwide accelerated healthcare pathway in partnership with HCA TriStar Hendersonville Medical Center and Highpoint Health, the county’s two largest healthcare providers. The Highpoint Academic Partnership Experience (SHAPE) pathway introduces students to high-wage, high-demand healthcare careers, including radiologic technology, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. Through employer mentorship, work-based learning, accelerated credentials, and clear postsecondary pathways, students gain sustained support from career exploration, creating a clearer path to meaningful healthcare careers and long-term economic opportunity. Key Partners: HCA TriStar Hendersonville Medical Center, Highpoint Health Sumner with Ascension Saint Thomas, Volunteer State Community College, Welch College, and Union University.
• Music City Academy: Music City Academy is creating a career-connected learning pathway that uses the 2030 Super Bowl in Nashville as a real-world learning experience for students interested in sports medicine, marketing, and related fields. Students prepare through career exploration, skill building, and credential-aligned learning before participating in internships, job shadowing, or paid experiences before and during that Super Bowl week. In partnership with Trevecca Nazarene University, students will have the opportunity to earn a stackable credential that complements hands-on learning and industry engagement. Key Partners: Tennessee Titans and Trevecca Nazarene University.
• Memphis Medical District Collaborative & Gestalt Community Schools: The Memphis Medical District Collaborative and Gestalt Community Schools are redesigning how students enter and advance through healthcare careers by creating a coordinated, employer-aligned pipeline. Through this model, students in Memphis explore healthcare careers, complete foundational coursework and dual enrollment opportunities, earn a certified nursing assistant credential (with the opportunity to continue on to other stackable nursing credentials), and transition quickly into employment while continuing their education. By leveraging partnerships with healthcare providers and postsecondary institutions, the pathway creates a more coordinated approach to preparing learners for advancement into higher-skill healthcare careers while helping meet Memphis’ growing workforce needs. Key Partners: Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Southwest Tennessee Community College, University of Memphis, Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Memphis, and Sincere Healthcare.
• Lipscomb University: Lipscomb University is expanding its early childhood teacher apprenticeship with comprehensive supports for students through their Lipscomb Lab initiative and a new secondary education apprenticeship pathway. Through the earn-while-you-learn apprenticeship, candidates teach full-time while earning a bachelor’s degree and progressing toward teacher licensure. The Lipscomb Lab adds individualized success coaching, writing workshops, technology bootcamps, and licensure preparation to help apprentices persist, complete their degrees, and enter the workforce as qualified early childhood and secondary educators. By combining paid employment with degree completion, the pathway reduces barriers for nontraditional learners while strengthening Tennessee’s early educator and secondary educator workforce. Key Partners: Headstart Chattanooga and Little Wonders Early Learning Center.
• Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) is partnering with Roane State Community College and Strata-G LLC to debut a new internship program to enhance an existing 2+2 project management degree pathway. Students will earn an Associate of Applied Science degree at Roane State before transferring to Tennessee Tech to complete a bachelor’s degree in project management and project controls. The pathway includes a high-quality paid internship for potential college credit in the nuclear energy sector. Through its leadership and coordination of the partnership, ORAU is helping connect education and industry to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and experience needed for high-demand careers in nuclear energy. Key Partners: Roane State Community College and Strata-G LLC.

In 2025, seven partnerships from across Tennessee were selected as recipients of the Future Forward Innovation Grant. These partnerships bring together education, community, and industry to develop an accelerated pathway for students to earn a credential that can lead to an in-demand, high-wage career. 

• The University of Memphis, through The Polytechnic @ UofM Initiative, is partnering with Southwest Tennessee Community College, the Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Jackson at Stanton, University High School, UpSkill Mid-South, the Center for Regional Economic Enrichment and Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce to launch a bachelor of applied science pathway that includes high-demand, embedded nondegree credentials, giving students valuable industry-recognized skills.
• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is partnering with local education partners to launch a Python and data processing and analysis credential. This innovative program uses the high school computer science course requirement as a launching point for advanced studies in data analytics and data science, with a focus on health care settings.
• Nurses Middle College Nashville (NMC) Nashville is partnering with Vanderbilt University Medical Center and other postsecondary and health care partners to launch an accelerated licensed practical nurse (LPN) apprenticeship program model. This innovative pathway expands NMC’s current school model by building on their certified nursing assistant (CNA) graduation requirement to allow students to earn their LPN by high school graduation.
• BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) and Chattanooga State Community College are partnering on BlueHorizon, a program launching in 2026 that provides a path to an accelerated associate degree in health science and a career with one of the region’s employers of choice. Participating students work as customer service representatives at BCBST while simultaneously earning their degree.
• Chattanooga 2.0 is partnering with Chattanooga State Community College and Hamilton County Schools to launch the Tutor to Teacher pathway. Through this innovative program students will earn multiple credentials by tutoring in elementary school classrooms while still completing high school and will also take the first steps toward an accelerated early education teaching license.
• Niswonger Foundation is partnering with the College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies at UT-Knoxville, high schools in Kingsport City Schools and Sullivan County Schools, and Ballad Health to launch an AI and data science credential. This innovative program leverages the high school computer science course requirement as a gateway to advanced studies in emerging technologies like AI, data analytics and computer science.
• Ballad Health is designing and launching an accelerated surgical technologist (surg tech) apprenticeship pathway with regional high schools. This program enables students to earn credit toward a surg tech certification while in high school, with eligibility for employment at Ballad Health.