Workforce development concerns took center stage during the annual mayors business breakfast on Wednesday.
“Our biggest threat continues to be our workers,” Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke said, citing the need for initiatives like Chattanooga 2.0, which aims to improve education and prepare citizens for the workforce.
As part of those efforts, Berke called attention to the city’s Office of Early Learning, which seeks to bridge the gap for families earning too much for government assistance but not enough to readily afford quality early learning opportunities for their children.
Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger, who also spoke to the room full of business and community leaders, agreed with the need to support workforce development.
“It is incumbent upon all of us to make that happen,” Coppinger said.