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Who We Are

Explore GMACWorkforce

The Greater Memphis Alliance for a Competitive Workforce (GMACWorkforce) was created to build a pipeline of high-skilled workers to address the needs of businesses in the Mid-South area.

Through the collaboration of its partner organizations, GMACWorkforce works every day to build career pathways between the unemployed and the area’s open high-skill positions. Together we work to eliminate the skills gap in Memphis so that all can experience the prosperity that comes through economic growth.

Our work focuses on Shelby county and the 8 surrounding
counties in the Greater Memphis Region

The alliance accomplishes this goal through a demand driven model:

Generate ‘best in class’ workforce trends data:

Document, analyze and publish regular data on local hiring trends, employer skill requirements and labor supply. Be the “go to” source for this data.

Strengthen education alignment to promote a pipeline of skilled workers for the future:

Document employment pathways, especially in target sectors, and engage K-12 and postsecondary institutions in aligning education programs to these pathways while eliminating gaps, avoiding duplication and improving quality.



Address employers’ short-term hiring needs:

Connect employers in target sectors to high-quality workforce solutions, addressing their short-term, immediate hiring and training needs. Create solutions where none exist.

Create enthusiasm for local career opportunities and provide a roadmap for accessing them:

Connect employers, educators, employment counselors, students and job seekers using leading edge technology. A systematic process matches job seekers’ interests to career pathways, job seekers’ skills assessment and skills gaps to recommended training and recommended job opportunities.



Leverage private dollars to bring In more state and federal funds:

Spearhead effort to bring in more outside resources to support workforce innovations, while ensuring GMACWorkforce operations are fully funded.





Why We Help

 

  • Mission

  • To close the skills gap by:
  • Driving better alignment of training and education programs with employers’ skill requirements.
  • Delivering innovative new strategies and tools to help Memphis citizens successfully navigate career pathways.
 

  • Vision

  • To provide employers access to the talent they need to compete and people access to the skills they need to get good jobs.
 

  • Background

  • GMACWorkforce was created in 2015, out of the Memphis and Shelby County Regional Economic Development Plan and the Greater Memphis Chamber's Chairman's Circle, in collaboration with the Brookings Institution Policy Program.  Managed by Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE) for Memphis and Shelby County, GMACWorkforce is a strategic consortium of educational institutions, workforce and community agencies, economic development entities, and employers working together to help solve Greater Memphis' skills gap.