Across Tennessee, campuses are reimagining learning environments to prepare students for evolving workforce needs. Staff shortages continue across healthcare, manufacturing, skilled trades and entrepreneurship, while students increasingly seek hands-on learning connected to high-demand careers. According to a 2025 survey by EdWeek, 71% of pre-college educators say that interest in trade-focused programs has increased in the last five years.
Schools have an opportunity to respond by creating flexible environments where career exploration begins early and evolves alongside students’ interests. Wold helps school leaders answer that call. The key is helping students discover and pursue their passions early, whether academic, technical, agricultural or creative, building pathways that prepare them for meaningful careers while strengthening the communities they call home.
Interest in trade schools has nearly doubled since 2017, driven by Gen Z’s appetite for practical, engaging education, faster routes to income and cost-effective training pathways. MTSU’s Applied Engineering Building reflects this growing investment in modern, career-focused education designed to inspire and equip the next generation. This same forward-looking mindset is just as crucial in K-12 education. Franklin Special District Superintendent Dr. David Snowden believes middle school is where career exploration begins:
"Early exposure to STEM and STEAM programs helps students see themselves not only as learners but also as problem-solvers, creators, leaders and future contributors to their communities. Students are provided opportunities to move beyond memorizing information and instead apply knowledge to real-world challenges.”
Dr. Snowden says that experiences in engineering, entrepreneurship and creative problem-solving build the resilience, critical thinking and adaptability students need in today's workforce.
Wold designs flexible classrooms, labs, makerspaces and innovation hubs that integrate hands-on learning into the curriculum, allowing students to explore a broad range of career pathways. At Jackson-Madison County School System’s (JMCSS) Malesus STEM Innovation School, a repurposed building transformed into a magnet for STEM learning, flexible innovation labs allow students to apply classroom learning to authentic challenges.
“The innovation labs encourage students to use their knowledge and skills in creative ways,” said JMCSS Chief Innovation Officer Dr. Teresa McSweeney. “When students realized a part was broken for a scooter kit they were building, they designed and printed the replacement part in the makerspace lab. In another project, students partnered with a local animal rescue center to design a custom kennel hook that helped keep animals safe.”
Beyond individual projects, Wold partners with districts such as Williamson County Schools and Franklin Special District to sponsor fairs and programs that give young learners early exposure to practical experiences that spark curiosity and confidence.
Jeremy Qualls, director of Williamson County Schools’ Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, describes innovation programming as a way to give students a realistic setting that traditional coursework cannot always replicate:
“There is no substitute for authentic, real-world experience. Through pitch competitions and entrepreneurial projects, students develop invaluable leadership skills, sharpen their ability to think critically under pressure and learn the power of collaboration – moments that reveal not just what students know, but how they lead, adapt and create solutions that matter.”
Qualls says innovation programming creates multiple pathways rather than a single destination, encouraging students to discover their strengths by learning through experimentation and failure.
Well-designed CTE spaces can inspire and engage learners who may not see themselves thriving in traditional academic settings. Rather than treating career and technical education as separate from the broader school experience, flexible, future-ready CTE and innovation spaces integrate hands-on learning with core academics, allowing students to explore interests and discover strengths.
Design also shapes perception. By moving traditional "back-of-school" shop areas into prominent, highly visible locations, schools reinforce that technical, agricultural and skilled trades pathways are valued alongside college-preparatory programs.
When students and communities have a voice in shaping programs, learning environments reflect local culture, interests and workforce needs, making education more relevant and engaging. In Giles County, where both of the area’s high schools offer robust vocational programs, Wold is partnering with CTE Director Dr. Courtney Woods to reimagine learning spaces, including a new CTE classroom, an outdoor learning pavilion and agricultural-focused environments. For Dr. Woods, partnerships with local industry are central to connecting student interests with meaningful career opportunities:
"During the 2025-2026 school year, we partnered with Giles County Farm Bureau to create an Agriculture Student Advisory Board, which provides selected students with firsthand exposure to agricultural careers through farm visits, industry tours and guest speakers."
Combined with career exploration tools, industry-recognized credentials and FFA and CTSO leadership opportunities, initiatives like the advisory board help students build confidence, stronger connections to local career pathways and the workforce-ready skills needed beyond high school.
When designed thoughtfully, facilities themselves become hubs for career exploration and mentorship by aligning CTE offerings with local job market demands and workforce gaps. Strong partnerships with local employers, colleges and trade schools make this possible, creating opportunities for internships, dual-credit programs and real-world learning. This approach revives the post-WWII ethos of technical education: hands-on learning embedded directly in schools, not siloed off in separate programs.
Entrepreneurial pathways give students the tools to not only join local industries but also launch businesses that strengthen regional economies. Community colleges, often home to these applied programs, continue to see growing interest, with enrollment rising 4% this year, outpacing public four-year universities (1.9%) and private nonprofit institutions (0.9%).
At Minnesota’s Owatonna High School, spaces were shaped around local employer needs, integrating partnerships that provide students with internships, dual-credit programs and real exposure to technical careers. Similarly, McHenry West High School in Illinois embeds career-focused spaces directly into academic zones, with fabrication labs and project-based learning areas that empower students to pursue high-skill trades and technical fields. This integrated model allows schools to remain flexible as programs evolve while still providing the targeted training students need for today's and tomorrow's high-demand careers.
Schools that partner with Wold are consistently more equipped to help every learner discover a path that fits their passions while strengthening the communities they will one day serve. Wold’s experience across states and education levels allows them to design learning environments that nurture student passions while helping build a multi-generational workforce, turning every school into a launchpad for life after graduation. The future of career-ready education starts early, adapts often and creates opportunities that last for generations.
