UT CIS Awarded EDA University Center Designation

UT CIS has been re-designated by the U.S. Economic Development Administration as an EDA University Center.  The five-year award provides funding to colleges and universities to administer programs to leverage their assets, promote innovation, and strengthen regional economies.

Designation as the University of Tennessee EDA University Center (UTUC) builds on a history of EDA support for this and other UT CIS programs.  Over the past 16 years, EDA’s investment has enabled UT CIS and its partners to address pressing issues and opportunities impacting economic development in Tennessee, including enhancing leadership capacity in economic development through the Tennessee Certified Economic Developer (TCED) program; accelerating technology development and deployment in key growth sectors; and assisting rural and distressed counties in asset-based strategic planning to utilize their strengths to grow jobs and investment.

A key focus of the UTUC over the next five years will be to support and strengthen rural workforce development systems and address needs impacting labor force participation.  “We’re excited about this opportunity to continue our partnership with EDA, communities and other partners and engage University of Tennessee resources to help with key issues impacting economic development in rural areas,” said Paul Jennings, UT CIS Executive Director. 

Initiatives over the next five years include convening resources to understand and address labor force participation barriers, developing professional development programs for workforce development practitioners, and helping counties leverage and align workforce assets.

More information about the UTUC can be found here.

Read the U.S. Economic Development Administration announcement at https://eda.gov/news/press-releases/2022/08/16/2022-university-center-competition.htm