Clarksville- Main File

CONCLUSION
The greater Clarksville region is a place young families choose to live with
an increasing number of millennials settling in to this rapidly growing region
in middle Tennessee. The area has benefitted from strong population and
job growth and significant corporate investment.
With 3,000 businesses around Montgomery County and growing rapidly, it is critical the
conversation around workforce continues. This could be realized by building on partnerships
between government, education, business, and industry. To achieve success, business and industry
need to lead the discussion and be more involved in education at ground level.
Despite the rapid growth in population and the number of jobs, income and education levels
are lower than in nearby regions. On a positive note, the share of working age population in the
labor force is significantly higher than the national average and the median age, at 29, is quite
low (the median age for the state and nation is 38). This bodes well for labor force growth and
skills improvements. The younger age cohorts are more likely to take on additional skills training,
but these are also the age cohorts with the highest job turnover. Turnover raises concerns for
business and industry as they struggle to find skilled workers, particularly for entry-level positions.
Manufacturers cited competition in the market for workers and lack of soft skills as the largest
contributing factors in their difficulties to find the workers they need.
Registered nurses, teachers, and managers are the occupations with great potential (most abundant,
high wage, and projected high growth) over the next five years. Clarksville and Montgomery County
are a hotbed for teachers as higher education institutions strive to fill the education gaps. A source
of filling such in-demand jobs are the roughly 400 military personnel exiting Fort Campbell each
month that the region has been struggling to tap into and identify with. The military experience
or capabilities that translate into the civilian workforce these individuals possess (sometimes with
some additional education and training needed) include management skills, health care, truck
drivers, technicians, and mechanics. However, training institutions are already having a difficult
time keeping up with demand from business for these positions, let alone the influx of exiting
military needs. The solution is more complex. Exiting military may have different expectations for
work than area businesses may provide—both in compensation and the civilian workplace style.
In addition, the projected growth is such that stakeholders will need to strategically plan their
next steps to stay aligned with current business and industry needs and partner with education
and training institutions all while keeping future growth opportunities at the forefront. There are
a multitude of opportunities for additional growth through expansion of regional industry supply
chains, as examined in this report. Furthermore, important existing industries may need attention
such as metal manufacturing, nonmetallic manufacturing, textile product mills, and nursing care
facilities. While other emerging industries will require support from educators, workforce and
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COMPREHENSIVE LABOR ANALYSIS: CLARKSVILLE-MONTGOMERY COUNTY