NASHVILLE (AP) — The Nashville Business Journal has organized a panel discussion on higher education and workforce readiness.

The panel is expected to talk about current trends in higher education to help students be competitive in the workforce.

Panelists at the Wednesday event include University of Tennessee System President Joe DiPietro, Middle Tennessee State University President Sidney McPhee, Western Governors University Tennessee Chancellor Kimberly Estep and Volunteer State Community College President Jerry Faulkner.

The event at the Omni Hotel in Nashville comes a week after Gov. Bill Haslam and the state's legislative speakers convened a summit to discuss education changes in Tennessee, particularly the Common Core standards.

Advocates say the higher standards are necessary to provide students with critical thinking, problem solving and writing skills needed for college and a global workforce.