The Tennessee Higher Education Commission is asking lawmakers to expand a $10 million grant program that paired employers with colleges to develop academic programs tailored to the needs of local job markets.

According to The Tennessean, the commission said in a report that Labor Education Alignment Program has grown substantially, but needs to receive more funding and attention during the upcoming legislative session.

The program doled out the grant funding to 12 different coalitions late in 2014.

The report says that thousands of students across 51 counties were reached by the first wave of grant funding, including 13,363 students who participated in extracurricular programming, including internships, clubs or training.

The commission says that funding a larger number of coalitions moving forward would help expand the program's impact.

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