A report from the stated some sobering statistics about technology, saying the jobs of more than a million people could be at risk.
The report, called the “Workforce Disruption Index,” was issued by Center for Economic Research, a division of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.
The report said 1.4 million workers in Tennessee were at risk of losing their jobs as technology and automation advances.
That's nearly half the state's workforce, but the Department of Economic and Community Development said there was some good news.
The department said that job loss could be avoided if more college students and adults were trained with technology skills through programs like Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect.
The department said it was all part of Governor Haslam’s Drive to 55 plan to get 55% of Tennesseans equipped with a college degree or certificate by the year 2025.
“This was no surprise, we hear it from our manufacturers every day,” said Randy Boyd, Commissioner of Economic and Community Development. “I talk to businesses everyday about their need for more highly skilled workers.”
Boyd says if the Drive to 55 program succeeds, it could mean more than $9 billion of additional income for Tennesseans.
