At Scale Newsletter: March 2026
Welcome to the latest edition of the At Scale Newsletter, where we highlight the impactful programs and initiatives falling into one of our three priorities — all designed to drive our mission to Build Tennessee’s Future Workforce.
Click to read each section!
Tennessee’s Future Workforce Framework Now Available
As we look to the future, tnAchieves is elevating the work beyond college participation and completion and prioritizing clear pathways to economic mobility. This month, tnAchieves released Tennessee’s Future Workforce Framework; this memo outlines the commitments Tennessee should prioritize to build a stronger pipeline from high school to postsecondary completion and meaningful employment.
This framework is informed by survey responses from nearly 6,000 college-enrolled TN Promise students representing 81 counties and 54 institutions across Tennessee. Their feedback highlights what students need to persist, complete a credential of value and successfully enter high-impact, high-demand careers that lead to long-term economic mobility.
Below are the five tenants making up Tennessee’s Future Workforce Framework:
At Scale Podcast Episode #25
To accompany the release of Tennessee’s Future Workforce Framework, tnAchieves recorded a special edition of the At Scale podcast that takes a deeper look at the ideas behind the memo.
FAFSA Filing Events and Workshops
It is Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) time in Tennessee! As a reminder, the 2026-2027 FAFSA must be filed by April 1, 2026 in order to remain eligible for TN Promise! That’s this Wednesday!
The FAFSA is a crucial step for students to unlock federal and state financial aid, including Tennessee Promise. tnAchieves never wants this to be a barrier standing in the way of a student going to college or not. Take a look as our team has been criss-crossing the state to help at various FAFSA nights and workshops!
Thank you to all the high schools, counselors, community colleges and financial aid advisors across the state who have helped coordinate workshops so students and parents can get the FAFSA filed by the deadline!
If you still need to file the 2026-2027 FAFSA, the time is NOW! You can complete it at studentaid.gov. If you need assistance, check out some FAFSA resources here: https://www.tnachieves.org/fafsa. You can also reach out to our team for help!
Again, the deadline is THIS Wednesday, April 1, 2026!
Nissan Problem-Solving Course
Problem solving is a critical skill for Building Tennessee’s Future Workforce, and our team is dedicated to continuous learning and growth!
To put that into practice, a group of our team members came from across the state to TCAT Smyrna to learn industry-specific problem-solving skills! This was done through a course led by Inaugural Mentor Hall of Fame member, Dan Caldwell, and his team from Nissan!
In this day-long course, our team learned problem-solving techniques that can extend into the professional world beyond advanced manufacturing and Nissan. It also helps our team learn about in-demand career skills students need before entering the workforce, and how we can better support students before they step into a career.
Thank you to Dan Caldwell and the Nissan team for leading us through this course! Thank you to TCAT Smyrna for hosting us for the day! Our team had a blast and learned so much!
