TCAT in Knoxville broke ground for a major addition Thursday, December 5, at its main campus on 1100 Liberty Street. TCAT also broke ground Wednesday, December 4, on its new Union County facility coming to 150 Main Street in Maynardville.
Building tomorrow’s workforce means giving it room for hands-on education to grow at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology.
“Our whole facility is a game changer – for our students and for learning, and for our business community,” said TCAT Knoxville President Kelli Chaney. Government leaders, educational leadership and other community members joined Chaney for the ceremonial groundbreaking event.
“This state-of-the-art building will help TCAT Knoxville expand its role as a leading career technical education center for workforce development in our local community. We’re excited to begin construction of this long-awaited facility which was made possible by Governor Lee’s $1 billion investment in the TCAT Master Plan,” said Chaney.
The new three-story facility in Knoxville will add 105,000 square feet of instructional space. BarberMcMurry Architects explains on its website that the new structure will wrap around the existing building. It will feature laboratories and multipurpose spaces as well as classrooms and offices. The facility will also include a community room for special events and public rental.
TCAT offers certificates in several workforce skills, including surgical technology, computer information technology, mechatronics, welding, diesel equipment and industrial electricity. These programs tout high placement rates for jobs.
The Union County school will offer courses in welding, HVAC, lineman technology and diesel mechanics, as well as other hands-on skills. It will be shared by both TCAT Knoxville and Walters State Community College, offering high school students access to build skills and earn higher education degrees.
TCAT Knoxville is part of a system of 26 schools statewide with the purpose of providing skilled workforce training.
Anne Brock is marketing coordinator for Solar Alliance, which designs and manages solar installation projects for manufacturers and small businesses. She can be reached at abrock@solaralliance.com or 865-221-8349.
