The Tennessee Department of Education on Friday unveiled plans for a statewide "Future Ready Tennessee" portal designed to centralize career-pathway planning, industry credentials and advising tools for students and families.

Department staff member Deb (identified in the transcript as Deb/Debbie) said the portal will connect K‑12 systems, postsecondary partners and state economic-development agencies so students can see aligned pathways, local employers hiring for specific credentials and expected salaries. "It looks like you're an eighth grader in the Milan Middle School...it looks like you're interested in an engineering pathway," Deb said, describing a simulated student experience that would produce a tailored high-school plan and list of aligned industry credentials and local work‑based learning opportunities.

Why it matters: The portal aims to reduce paperwork and confusion, Deb told the board, by combining application processes and data currently dispersed among agencies. The department reported that Tennessee students earned more than 77,000 industry credentials last year and said a single, tiered credential list will clarify which credentials are appropriate for K‑12 students, TCAT programs and two‑ and four‑year institutions.

Key features and timeline: The portal will include an AI‑integrated student interface, interactive pathway maps, a student portfolio with transcripts and ACT scores, a counselor interface, and predictive analytics tied to labor-market tools such as Jobs for TN. Deb said the technical guide that will drive the portal is finished; the project now requires funding and a vendor, and she estimated the full build and pilot would take "no more than 2 years, including a pilot."

Training and equity: The department plans a network of roughly 400 career coaches statewide and proposed standardized professional development and potential certification or endorsement opportunities for those coaches. Deb emphasized that the portal "does not replace a guidance counselor" but is intended to make advising consistent: "It levels the playing field, for every student," she said.

Rural access and employer engagement: Presenters said the initiative would pilot new work‑based learning models in January and expand rural access through innovative school-model funding. Economic Development representatives were described as eager for the portal because it helps make employer pipelines visible: "They're looking at our eighth graders," Deb said of companies evaluating future workforce supply.

Next steps: Department staff said they will pursue funding, continue cross‑agency technical work and run pilots. The department also plans proactive outreach to parents, counselors and career coaches as the portal is built. Deb invited questions and said the department will keep the board updated as funding and implementation plans progress.

Ending: The board opened a question-and-answer period after the presentation and moved on to other agenda items. The portal proposal remains contingent on securing funding and vendor services and on final technical integration across state data systems.