NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Governor Bill Haslam has convened higher education and workforce leaders to discuss his initiative to improve graduation rates in Tennessee.
Launched two years ago, the aim of "Drive to 55" has been to increase the percentage of Tennesseans with a degree or certificate beyond high school from the current 32 percent to 55 percent by 2025 in order to help improve overall job qualifications and attract employers to the state.
“We didn't just pick 55 percent out of the air,” Governor Haslam said. “We picked it because ten years from now of all the jobs that will exist, 55 percent will require either a degree or a certificate from one of our technical schools, so we have to be there if we’re going to meet the job market. Or there will be a lot of Tennesseans who want a job that don’t have it, and those jobs will go somewhere else.”
On Monday, Haslam held a roundtable in Nashville to hear from those leaders, who were also given updates on programs the governor created to help reach his postsecondary goal.
One of those programs has been Tennessee Promise, which has offered eligible high school seniors the chance to go to a community or technical college without paying tuition.
Out of 58,000 applicants, 15,800 students have enrolled in the program.
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