University of Tennessee Extension has secured nearly $500,000 in funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission’s INSPIRE (Investments in Supporting Partnerships in Recovery Ecosystems) initiative to expand current efforts that specifically target individuals with substance abuse disorder. The commission is a partnership between the federal government and 13 state governments to strengthen economic growth in the region.

The grant funds the Skill Up Tennessee Recovery Initiative, an expansion of UT Extension’s Skill Up Tennessee program, to build on and increase current efforts in workforce development to focus specifically on job training and skill building for individuals with or at risk of developing substance use disorder in the identified counties. 

In our modern society, aging tends to be something we ignore, and then try to avoid. Mainstream culture is geared toward the young, using the youth to gauge trends and styles, and targeting their spending power. Meanwhile, the anti-aging industry is booming, with billions of dollars trading hands in the form of creams, pills and nip/tuck treatments to stave off the look and feel of getting old.