Tennessee, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® Partner for Work-Based Learning
Tennessee, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® Partner for Work-Based Learning
Nashville, TN – Tennessee’s national award-winning Jobs for Tennessee Graduates program focused on work-based learning this week during the fourth annual Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® Career Day. High school students from across the state learned about the diverse careers in hospitality through hands-on activities and workshops with experienced industry professionals.
“The Jobs for Tennessee Graduates program has been a real success story for the partnership between the Department of Education and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development,” Education Commissioner Lana Seivers said. “Students in this program stay in school and find placement after graduation in higher education or a career. It meets our mutual goals of seeing students complete their education and become productive members of the community.”
Jobs for Tennessee Graduates has been nationally recognized for its exemplary graduation rate – 96.2 percent in 2007 – and the high percentage of students who are employed or enrolled in higher education after high school. Built on the Jobs for America’s Graduates model, the program is designed to lower the dropout rate and raise academic achievement and career success among at-risk youth.
“Cracker Barrel Career Day gives students another valuable opportunity to learn about the expectations of the working world and possible career paths,” said Ralph Barnett, Assistant Commissioner for Career Technical Education. “Learning about professionalism, good work ethic and necessary job skills in high school gives these students an advantage when the time comes to compete in the job market.”
Participating this year were high schools from all three grand divisions including:
| Antioch HS | Franklin HS | McGavock HS | Sycamore HS |
| CCTC | Giles Co. HS | Oneida HS | Westview HS |
| Centennial HS | Glencliff HS | Page HS | Whites Creek HS |
| Cheatham Co. HS | Grundy Co. HS | Pearl-Cohn HS | Whitwell HS |
| Chester Co. HS | Houston Co. HS | Perry Co. HS | |
| Clarksburg HS | Hunters Lane HS | Richland HS | |
| Dickson Co. HS | Independence HS | Springfield HS | |
| Fairview HS | Maplewood HS | Stratford HS |
Students participated in hands-on workshops and heard remarks from Assistant Commissioner Barnett; Cracker Barrel Vice President for Diversity Initiatives and Outreach Nelson Griffin; Department of Tourism Regional Manager Derrick Smith; Betsy Houston, Executive Director of Career and Workforce Services; and Cracker Barrel culinary training specialist John Mays.
About Cracker Barrel:
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® restaurants provide a friendly home-away-from-home in their old country stores and restaurants. Guests are cared for like family while relaxing and enjoying real home-style food and shopping that’s surprisingly unique, genuinely fun and reminiscent of America’s country heritage. The restaurant serves up delicious, home-style country food such as meatloaf and homemade chicken n’ dumplins as well as its signature biscuits using an old family recipe. The authentic old country retail store is fun to shop and offers unique gifts and self-indulgences.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of the publicly held CBRL Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBRL). Cracker Barrel was established in 1969 in Lebanon, Tenn. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. operates 565 company-owned locations in 41 states. For more information, visit www.crackerbarrel.com.
For more information, contact Katharine Mosher at (615) 532-3318 or Katharine.Mosher@state.tn.us.