Tennessee’s Future Workforce Framework
For nearly two decades, tnAchieves has helped Tennessee students navigate the transition from high school into postsecondary education and, ultimately, into the workforce. We do this at scale, with systems built for real life: work schedules, family obligations, transportation barriers, financial uncertainty and the challenge of finding a clear path forward in an evolving economy.
Today, Tennessee has a powerful opportunity to strengthen the transition from high school into postsecondary education and career by aligning around outcomes that truly change lives.That means moving beyond participation metrics to focus on pathways that lead to credentials of value, higher earning potential and long-term economic mobility—while ensuring every student has clear options, room to explore and the coaching support to persist.
To do this well, our state must define what success looks like, track progress in real time and build a shared strategy across K–12, postsecondary institutions and business and industry. When these systems align, more Tennesseans will graduate into high-impact careers, military service and middle-class earnings.
In fall 2025, tnAchieves surveyed nearly 6,000 college-enrolled TN Promise students across almost every Tennessee county to better understand what is working, what is missing and what students need next as they prepare for life after college. The results confirm what we have learned through practice: coaching, career exposure and trusted relationships are essential to student success, while also highlighting persistent gaps in access to career exploration and professional networks, especially for students with the fewest supports.
This memo outlines Tennessee’s Future Workforce Framework and the commitments Tennessee must prioritize to build a stronger pipeline from high school to postsecondary completion and meaningful employment. tnAchieves is sharing what we know to be true through data, what students are telling us and what works at scale—so that every student can move from aspiration to opportunity.
Krissy DeAlejandro
President & CEO, tnAchieves
At Scale Podcast
To accompany the release of Tennessee’s Future Workforce Framework, tnAchieves recorded a special edition of the At Scale podcast that takes a deeper look at the ideas behind the memo. In this episode, President and CEO Krissy DeAlejandro and Vice President of Workforce Tyler Ford discuss what students are telling us, how tnAchieves is evolving its work and why stronger alignment across education and industry is critical to preparing Tennessee’s future workforce. Listen below to hear how this framework was built and where we go next.
