NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A dozen rural Tennessee counties faced with a low number of college-educated workers are digging into how their residents can further their education.
The Tennessean reported Sunday that the counties are organized into five regional councils that are part of a newly launched pilot initiative by Complete Tennessee focused on clearing hurdles to obtain a college degree or certificate. Lauderdale and Lake are among the pilot counties.
The pilot "College Completion Communities" programs tie into the state's Drive to 55 initiative, which seeks to boost college degree attainment of Tennesseans to 55 percent.
Each of the five regional councils will create a three-year plan to address the regional challenges of completing college. The five will also go to Nashville to share how they're going about their work with other officials.