Nashville, TN – August 7, 2025 – North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development have announced a groundbreaking workforce development initiative: the Forever Family Apprentice Partnership. This bold collaboration is designed to provide former foster youth with direct access to union apprenticeship opportunities, career pathways, and the essential support needed to thrive in the unionized construction and energy industries.

Signed at the 2025 TVTLC/TVA Labor Management Conference, the Forever Family proclamation outlines a shared commitment to remove barriers for former foster youth by creating a pipeline into NABTU’s high-quality, debt-free apprenticeship programs. Participants will receive guaranteed interviews for local union apprenticeship programs. Those selected will gain on-the-job experience with TVA partner contractors and receive wraparound support through the Tennessee Department of Labor and NABTU’s Registered Apprenticeship programs.

NABTU’s Registered Apprenticeship programs are the gold standard for workforce training. These world-class, tuition-free, “earn while you learn” programs—regulated by the U.S. Department of Labor and recognized State Apprenticeship Agencies—combine rigorous classroom instruction with paid, hands-on experience. Graduates become the most sought-after experts in their field, earning top industry credentials, competitive wages, and a fulfilling, secure, lifelong career path in the skilled trades.

“This is what it looks like to build futures and community at the same time,” said Sean McGarvey, President of NABTU. “Building Trades Registered Apprenticeship is a pathway to the middle class. With this initiative, we’re giving young people from the foster system not just an opportunity to work, but an opportunity to belong—to be part of a Forever Family that supports them with the best trade skills and a family-sustaining career.”

“As TVA seeks a deep, skilled, committed workforce that is eager to learn and build rewarding careers, the Forever Family initiative will allow these young adults to enroll in trade schools and trade programs that open up careers for them in the utility industry—growing the number of new people with skills critical to building both TVA and our national infrastructure,” said Don Moul, President and CEO of TVA. “We’re excited for this opportunity and look forward to seeing the program and our students grow and prosper.”

**Program Benefits Include:**

– Career stability and economic opportunity in a sustainable, high-demand industry
– A building trades union and family culture that provides mentorship, community, and professional development from day one through retirement
– Access to top-tier skills and training needed to build the energy and infrastructure systems of the future

This initiative reflects the power of labor-management collaboration—and a shared belief that everyone, regardless of background, deserves a fair shot at a fulfilling career.

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Media Contacts:
Betsy Barrett | North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) | bbarrett@nabtu.org | (202) 756-4623
Adam May | Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) | amay0@tva.gov | (423) 505-3261

 

About NABTU: North America’s Building Trades Unions is an alliance of 14 national and international unions in the building and construction industry that collectively represent over 3 million skilled craft professionals in the United States and Canada. Each year, our unions and signatory contractor partners invest almost $2 billion in private-sector money to fund and operate over 1,900 apprenticeship training and education facilities across North America that produce the safest, most highly trained, and productive skilled craft workers found anywhere in the world. NABTU is dedicated to creating economic security and employment opportunities for its construction workers by safeguarding wage and benefits standards, promoting responsible private capital investments, investing in renowned apprenticeship and training, and creating more construction career pathways to the middle class. For more information, please visit nabtu.org.

 

About TVA: The Tennessee Valley Authority is the nation’s largest public power supplier, delivering energy to more than 10 million people across seven southeastern states. TVA has one of the most diverse energy systems – including nuclear, hydro, solar, gas, and advanced technologies. To prepare for the future, TVA is making significant investments in its power system toward new generation and transmission. TVA is a corporate agency of the United States, receiving no taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity. TVA maintains some of the lowest energy costs and highest reliability in the nation. TVA’s retail rates are lower than 80 percent of the rest of the nation, while its industrial rates are lower than 95 percent of the top utilities. In addition, TVA provides flood control, navigation, and land management for the Tennessee River system, and assists local power companies and state and local governments with economic development and job creation.