POST ARCHIVE
LEIC Helps State Facilitate Violent Crime Intervention GrantsJune 12, 2023Tennessee’s violent crime rate ranks as one of the highest in the nation. Fortunately, Governor Bill Lee is taking action, in part by releasing $100 million for violent crime intervention.
“As Americans face rising crime nationwide, Tennessee is equipping law enforcement with the tools needed to keep every community safe,” said Lee. The Violent Crime Intervention Fund (VCIF) initiative launched in October 2022 to support local law enforcement agencies’ work to reduce violent crime and strengthen public safety. The UT Law Enforcement Innovation Center (LEIC) was fortunate to be able to assist in this endeavor.
Agencies could apply through the Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs (TNOCJP) for two types of grant funding, formula and collaborative. The formula funding was allocated to each eligible law enforcement agency in the state with the amount being determined by several factors including the agency’s violent crime statistics. Amounts ranged from $20,000 for small agencies to $3 million for larger agencies. The collaborative grant was competitive in nature and required two or more law enforcement agencies to enter into a partnership to address violent crime in their area with an award of up to $2 million. Of the 54 collaborative applications, 40 were recently awarded for fiscal years 2024 and 2025.
Agencies utilized the grant money to purchase items such as drones, ballistic vests, body-worn cameras, and crime scene equipment. Other agencies used the funding to create new positions, providing them with additional resources such as a criminal intelligence analyst or a new investigator position. Many agencies chose to purchase upgraded radio systems, improving emergency communications across the state. The funding also allowed several agencies to send people to LEIC’s National Forensic Academy to attend the nationally recognized 10-week crime scene program. The collaborative grants included more ambitious projects such as real-time intelligence centers, allowing multiple agencies to share information and a digital forensic center in upper East Tennessee.
The LEIC was given the opportunity to partner with TNOCJP to provide training and technical assistance over the three-year period of the grant. The pre-grant assistance that LEIC provided consisted primarily of technical assistance to law enforcement agencies applying for the grant. Between October 2022 and January 2023, a team of grant writers and consultants provided assistance that ranged from answering questions to writing complete grants for agencies. In all, LEIC staff members had contact with approximately 194 law enforcement agencies and wrote 28 formula grants accounting for almost $2.5 million as well as five collaborative grants for over $2 million in awards. Additionally, the team assisted on 120 formula grants and 27 collaborative grants for over $61 million in grant awards to local law enforcement agencies.
Post-awards, the team has been working with TNOCJP to get some of the grants ready for executed contracts and providing technical assistance to agencies in the form of model policies and best practices for their newly acquired equipment. Additionally, LEIC will be providing free training on various violent crime topics including crime scene operations, active shooter, and criminal investigations. As part of the program, a new limited-duration training specialist will be joining LEIC in July 2023 to spearhead the violent crime training.
The grant writing team consisted of LEIC Program Manager Rhiannon Jones; Lt. Danielle Lowery, Clinton Police Department; ret. Deputy Chief Brian Johnson, Nashville Police Department; Lauren Allard, Allard Consulting, LLC.; Detective Sergeant Leslie Miller, Clinton Police Department; and Sergeant Thomas Clinton, Knoxville Police Department. [...]Read more...
TLC Offers Video Interpreting to ClientsJune 12, 2023Video remote interpreting, or VRI, is becoming increasingly popular due to its multiple benefits. VRI allows the interpreter to interact with participants via a secure web-based platform on any device or computer. The Tennessee Language Center (TLC) offers this service to its clients, along with traditional in-person interpreting and over-the-phone interpreting.
One of TLC’s clients that has utilized VRI often is The Family Center in Nashville. The Family Center provides parenting programs, coaching, and support groups to help break cycles of trauma in families. They use TLC interpreters in person during their programs scheduled during the day, but it can be challenging to find interpreters for the evening programs.
Having access to VRI “allows us to open evening classes up to everybody,” explains The Family Center Coach Katelyn Goodall. “They don’t have to take off work to come to group.”
More clients are exploring using VRI due to its many benefits, including:
It can be more cost-effective because there are no travel expenses for the interpreter.
It can be used immediately, anytime, anywhere, even on short notice if needed.
It can be great for finding an interpreter of a language not frequently spoken in the area.
In addition to helping with the evening schedule, The Family Center has utilized the VRI option over just telephonic interpreting because there is more interaction possible. With video, you can see face-to-face, which can help facilitate communication.
VRI also allows for simultaneous interpreting, which is interpretation as the speaker is speaking. Goodall has noticed this increases the parents’ participation in answering questions and group discussions. “We couldn’t do what we do without TLC,” she says.
TLC works closely with each of its clients to select the interpreter or interpreting technology that is most appropriate to meet the client’s needs. VRI’s many benefits can make it an indispensable tool. [...]Read more...
CIS Delivers Skills for Success Training for Tennessee InmatesJune 12, 2023Inmates in several West Tennessee correctional facilities now have skills for a productive life outside of prison, thanks in part to the UT Center for Industrial Services (CIS) and its Tennessee Manufacturing Extension Partnership (TMEP) organization
The Skills for Success – Manufacturing program was made available in Tennessee by the TMEP in January 2023 to facilitate training for people seeking employment in Tennessee’s manufacturing sector. The deployment of this Skills for Success program for justice-involved participants is funded through a grant made available through Governor Bill Lee’s Reentry Act of 2021. The act created the Office of Reentry under the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and its aim is to help those serving time in jail to lead productive lives once they are released.
The Office of Reentry partnered with the Northwest Tennessee Workforce Board, the Southwest Tennessee Workforce Agency and CIS to provide skills training in the Hardin County jail. In October 2022, the Northwest Tennessee Workforce Board contacted West Tennessee Solutions Consultant Andre Temple to provide 1,000 safety glasses for high school students participating in area manufacturing day events. As a result of this engagement, when they found out that they had funds to provide training to participants in the jails, they reached back out to Temple to ask if CIS could help deliver this type of training.
The 10-day manufacturing training boot camp for entry-level workers included classes on workplace skills, math for manufacturing, quality tools and techniques and a 10-hour Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety in general industry class. At the completion of the training, participants received a certificate from CIS, an OSHA 10-hour General Industry card and they are set up for an interview with a local manufacturing facility.
The delivery of the Skills for Success training in Hardin County is actually the first of six sets of training in additional jail facilities across West Tennessee including Dyer, Obion, Madison and Henry Counties. Additional facilities in both West and East Tennessee counties are in the process of being scheduled for delivery in 2023.
Hardin County Jail Administrator Ryan Burlesci said this program is a major step for those who earn a certificate as well as a benefit for the participants, their families and the entire community.
CIS Health and Safety Consultant Chuck Gluck said delivering the OSHA 10 training to this set of participants was the most personally meaningful work he has performed during his 10 years with CIS. [...]Read more...
TLC Offers Online Japanese Cooking Classes in JulyJune 12, 2023Discover the delicious art of Japanese cuisine in a 3-class series of online classes in July. Best of all, it’s free for UT (and state) employees!
Japanese Oishi Cooking Class for ADULTS (Ages 16 and above) will be held online from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Central time on July 13, July 20, and July 27. Total cost is $100 for the series.
Students will learn basic vocabulary and expressions in Japanese as well as five methods of Japanese cooking while making dishes like dashi pickles, miso soup, and matcha ice cream.
Japanese Oishi Cooking Class for YOUTH (Ages 11-15) will be held online from 11-11:45 a.m. Central time on July 12, July 19, and July 26. Total cost is $75 for the series.
Students will learn basic vocabulary and expressions in Japanese while making dishes like an onigiri rice ball and characters for a Bento box. The youth class will not use a stove or oven during the class.
No previous study of Japanese language is needed for either class. Ingredients and kitchen equipment are not provided by the TLC. Students will need to purchase the ingredients in advance for each of the classes. Menus and ingredient lists will be shared ahead of class.
For more information or to register, visit tiny.utk.edu/Summer2023JapaneseClasses.
Please note: Classes typically require at least three individuals paying the full fee for online (four for in-person) classes before a fee waiver student may join and classes are capped at 12 students. Classes without adequate enrollment are subject to closure or cancellation. If a class reaches capacity (12 students) and is closed to further enrollment or is canceled due to insufficient enrollment, we will notify you with alternative class options. [...]Read more...
University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services Brings Supply Chain Support to ManufacturersJune 14, 2022The University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services (UT CIS) is introducing CONNEX™ Tennessee, a new program launching June 22, which is designed to strengthen the local and domestic manufacturing supply chain.
CONNEX™ Tennessee is a powerful online manufacturer database and connectivity platform provided as a no-cost resource for Tennessee manufacturers. It’s designed to help manufacturers connect with each other, find local and domestic suppliers, explore production capabilities, and manage their supply chain such as identifying single supplier risks and finding opportunities for diversification.
“The UT Center for Industrial Services is always looking for ways to help Tennessee manufacturers achieve their goals,” explains UT CIS Executive Director Paul Jennings. “We see CONNEX™ Tennessee as a great resource to help our state’s manufacturers mitigate supply chain risks, become stronger and grow.”
CONNEX™ Tennessee is also supported by the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry whose President and CEO Bradley Jackson said, “For manufacturers, the pandemic demonstrated just how vulnerable supply chains are. Many manufacturers are now searching for ways to domestically or locally develop supply chains to protect their operations from additional supply chain disruptions. We hope that Tennessee manufacturers will be a part of the CONNEX™ Tennessee program which can help solve some of these problems.”
To help manufacturers develop more reliable supply chains and find alternate suppliers, the CONNEX Tennessee platform will help manufacturers identify potential suppliers within the state based on their capabilities, not just current production. Results can then be filtered using hundreds of unique criteria such as equipment, processes, materials, certifications and more to meet a manufacturer’s specific needs.
In addition, disruptions to existing supply chains have resulted in shortages of materials and inputs to manufacturing processes, which is hampering the productivity and profitability of Tennessee manufacturers. CONNEX Tennessee will offer manufacturers the ability to post requests for information (RFIs) and requests for quotes (RFQs) for such items in the platform’s B2B Exchange Center to which qualified suppliers may directly respond to the post with their capabilities and availability. These platform features will help Tennessee manufacturers quickly find the materials and inputs they need to meet their productivity and profitability objectives while improving supply chain robustness for downstream manufacturers as well.
The CONNEX Marketplace technology was developed several years ago by i5 Services to connect the U.S. manufacturing supply chain. It’s now being used by manufacturers and suppliers across the country to connect with each other and find new business opportunities. Tennessee is the seventh state to roll out the CONNEX Marketplace™ platform, joining Missouri, Kansas, Florida, Oklahoma, Michigan and Utah. In each state, the platform is managed by a MEP center to provide a coordinated approach to outreach and direction for users.
“We are thrilled to have UT CIS and the Tennessee Chamber sponsor and support CONNEX Tennessee,” said President and CEO of i5 Services Alan Davis.. “It’s a sign of their strong leadership and commitment to the Tennessee manufacturing industry which is one of the pillars of the Tennessee economy.”
Free registration for Tennessee manufacturers and suppliers will begin on June 22 when the platform officially launches. In the meantime, more information can be found at: https://www.cis.tennessee.edu/connex-tennessee/connex-tennessee-faqs
About the University of Tennessee’s Center for Industrial Services
UT CIS, an agency of the UT Institute for Public Services, is a member of the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network™. The MEP National Network is a unique public-private partnership that delivers comprehensive, proven solutions to U.S. manufacturers, fueling growth and advancing U.S. manufacturing. It’s focused on helping small and medium-sized manufacturers generate business results and thrive in today’s technology-driven economy.
About Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry
As the Tennessee affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Chemistry Council, the Tennessee Chamber works today with its national and state business allies to maintain a strong, healthy business climate in Tennessee for companies to grow, to profit, to expand and to hire.
About CONNEX Marketplace by i5 Services
Founded in 2009, i5 Services develops solutions to significantly improve complex technical processes in various industries. They are working to connect the U.S. and global manufacturing supply chain into a single platform, which will solve many of the world’s supply chain issues. Called CONNEX Marketplace, this online platform connects manufacturers and suppliers to an accurate, searchable supply-chain database allowing Primes, OEMs and governments to post their needs and quickly find suppliers based on deep data such as equipment, certifications, capabilities and more. For more information, visit: www.ConnexMarketplace.com [...]Read more...
