Nearly $2 million in funding will benefit residents across the greater Chattanooga region through a grant awarded to The Enterprise Center for its Tech Goes Home program. The investment is part of the State of Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s (TNECD) recently announced $163 million allocation for broadband access and digital opportunity.
“We’re thrilled Tech Goes Home will be able to deepen its work in communities across our region through this investment,” said The Enterprise Center CEO Deb Socia. “Broadband is essential in 2024 and this ongoing digital equity work is crucial to community connectivity. Since 2015, TGH has reached more than 12,000 Tennesseans and we’re committed to ensuring that every individual has the technology and training they need to succeed.”
Tech Goes Home, a program of The Enterprise Center, provides digital literacy training and workforce development initiatives to respond to the growing importance of digital skills for careers in nearly every field. The Enterprise Center’s two grant awards, totaling $1,979,965, will serve more than 3,300 area residents across Hamilton, Bradley, Polk, McMinn, Marion, Sequatchie, Bledsoe, Rhea, Meigs and Grundy Counties. In a nod to its exceptional track record of positive impact, The Enterprise Center received the highest funding amount in the grant’s Digital Skills, Education and Workforce category.
“In order to make sure we are preparing Tennesseans for access to high-paying tech-based jobs and giving them the tools to feel confident using broadband connected devices, we are excited to launch the Digital Skills Education and Workforce Development (DSEW) Program,” said TNECD Broadband Program Director Taylre Beaty. “Our DSEW grants are designed to invest in programs that will increase digital adoption and we look forward to seeing how The Enterprise Center’s Tech Goes Home Program benefits folks across Southeast Tennessee.”
According to TNECD, $27.9 million in new Digital Skills, Education and Workforce, or DSEW, grants will be distributed among 47 organizations that will offer a variety of training and education programs to advance digital skills and workforce development, creating a pipeline for well-paying digital jobs.
“Broadband and digital opportunities are critical to keeping communities connected — as well as ensuring a robust and economically thriving Chattanooga,” said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. “In-home access to resources, career advancement and so much more require both technology and the education on how to harness it, and our office is a proud partner of Tech Goes Home’s ongoing efforts. This significant investment through our state’s Economic and Community Development Department will benefit our communities for years to come.”
“The State of Tennessee’s investment in The Enterprise Center’s Tech Goes Home program sets ‘Gig City’ up for even further success in our mission to provide broadband access to every Hamilton County resident,” agreed Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp. “In an ever-changing digital economy, this funding will provide equal opportunities for local residents, regardless of their neighborhood.”
As our regional economy continues to grow, these grants will help support residents not just get employed, but enter competitive, thriving-wage careers. A 2023 report by the National Skills Coalition and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta found that an estimated 92% of jobs require digital literacy and that workers who qualify for jobs that require even one digital skill can earn an average of 23% more than in a job requiring no digital skills.
Ongoing skills education in partnership with Chattanooga State Community College — like EMPACT, a Google IT certification course in a supported class setting — frequently experience full classes and have an ongoing waitlist, highlighting community interest in pathways to tech career opportunities.
“We at Chattanooga State are thrilled that the Enterprise Center has been awarded this funding to increase digital equity through its Tech Goes Home program,” said Chattanooga State President Rebecca Ashford. “We are so proud to partner with the Enterprise Center, and we will support them in their efforts to support more Hamilton County residents.”
In addition to leading this significant local effort, Tech Goes Home will also partner with more than a dozen other organizations and governments around the state to provide training and digital skills classes to serve an estimated 13,000 Tennessee residents over the next two years.
