Haslam says workforce training has long way to go

Gov. Bill Haslam speaks during the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting Wednesday afternoon at the Chattanooga Convention Center.

Saying he has talked with more than 1,000 business chiefs in his first eight months in office, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam told Chattanooga leaders Wednesday the state’s workforce is too shallow in engineering and technical skills.

Haslam said many company CEOs have told him the state needs to bolster its education achievement for its workforce.

“Workforce development and training, while we think it’s better, still has a long way to go,” he said to about 50 business and political leaders, especially citing the science, math and engineering areas.

Haslam, later speaking to about 1,300 people at the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting, said the state needs to raise education expectations.