How University of Tennessee plans to entice more graduates to work in the Volunteer State

University of Tennessee System leaders are finding ways to quickly adapt programs that will build a workforce of Volunteer State graduates who meet companies' changing needs.

UT System President Randy Boyd and university chancellors spoke on the state of the system in a panel discussion Feb. 8 moderated by the USA TODAY Network.

The leaders discussed creating more hands-on learning opportunities for students, working as a team to find a place for any student, and meeting the needs of Tennessee businesses who need qualified workers.

"That's one of the real beauties of the One UT spirit, is that somewhere in the UT System, we can meet the needs of everyone," UT Southern Interim Chancellor Linda C. Martin said.

The panel of chancellors featured UT Southern's Martin, UT Knoxville's Donde Plowman, UT Chattanooga's Steve Angle, UT Martin's Yancy E. Freeman, and UT Health Science Center's Peter F. Buckley.

Make changes quickly to meet workforce demand

System-wide, leaders are focusing on adapting to change and staying current.

That means being innovative, nimble and entrepreneurial to ensure this is the greatest decade of UT, Angle said, and to "take a great leap forward."

Plowman said UT is good at listening to what industries need, but it’s been harder to act. It shouldn’t take three years to implement a new degree, she said, and they’re working on speeding that process up.

Tennessee industry leaders are saying the universities need to at least double the output of graduating engineering students each year to meet demand, Plowman said.

UT Knoxville is meeting this demand by expanding programs in the Tickle College of Engineering with a specialized department of applied engineering. It also created the College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies, specifically to respond quickly to changing industry needs.

UT Chattanooga is partnering with utility company EPB to start educating students about quantum technology in middle school, the beginning of a pipeline for a future workforce.

UT Southern is focusing on credentialing and certifying students more quickly to meet the nursing demand across the state. Eighty percent of its nursing students go on to practice in rural areas, where nurses are needed most.

Industries are clamoring for graduates who can bring artificial intelligence experience to the workforce. UT Chattanooga's vice chancellor for information and technology Vicki Farnsworth, for example, will coordinate education and enforcement around AI on campus.

That also means providing a pipeline of graduates who want to work for Tennessee businesses. That's a problem that needs to be solved: 40% of graduates leave the state for work, but about 49% of out-of-state students stay and work in Tennessee. Plowman wants to boost that retention by providing hands-on internships and research opportunities to root students here before they even graduate.

Viewing University of Tennessee as one big campus

University of Tennessee's leaders don't compete with each other, they stressed, and they're focused on serving the state as a whole.

UT Health Science Center is bringing dentists to the entire state, not just the Memphis area, thanks to the third year of a $55 million grant to bring more providers to Appalachia. UTHSC Nashville is launching a similar nursing program in Middle Tennessee soon.

“Memphis is our home, but Tennessee is our campus,” Buckley said.

Keenan Thomas is a higher education reporter. Email keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter @specialk2real.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: University of Tennessee will adapt programs to meet business needs