Tennessee College of Applied Technology Knoxville receives two separate GIVE grants from Tennessee Higher Education Commission
TCAT Knoxville is the only recipient to have received two separate GIVE grants in this round of funding.
Tennessee College of Applied Technology Knoxville has received $4 million in funding from GIVE grants, which come from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. GIVE grants, which are Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education grants, are awarded as a means of enhancing workforce and career training in the state.
According to an article on TCAT Knoxville’s website, Kelli Chaney, the school’s president, shared her thoughts about receiving the grants. She is quoted as saying, “I am pleased that TCAT Knoxville has received funding for both grants. These grants will help us expand career exploration opportunities for students and strengthen workforce development in key industries like Nuclear and Manufacturing. It’s an important step towards tackling regional workforce challenges and keeping East Tennessee’s economy moving.”
The two grants that TCAT Knoxville has received, each of which are $2 million awards, will fund the school’s projects called Nuclear Science Pathway and Industry 4.0 Apprenticeship Pathway.
The Nuclear Science Pathway will give both high school and college students the opportunity to study the skills needed to pursue careers in Nuclear Energy, including Industrial Maintenance/Mechatronics, Welding, Plumbing, HVAC, and Computer Information Technology. TCAT Knoxville will be partnering with the East Tennessee Economic Council (ETEC), Roane State Community College, Anderson County School District, Oak Ridge City Schools, United Cleanup Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR), and Triso-X on this project. The project will focus on providing this in-demand training to people who come from underserved communities in the industry, such as students with special needs, minority students, and students who are in the process of learning English.
The Industry 4.0 Apprenticeship Pathway will address challenges in the workforce faced by East Tennessee and create three strategies to combat these challenges, including broadening access to relevant apprenticeships in Industrial Maintenance, Machine Tool, Mechatronics, and Welding training, implementing cohesive work-based learning for K-12 though college, and expanding career exploration opportunities for K-12 students. The project includes involvement from Anderson County Chamber of Commerce, Roane State Community College, Anderson County School District, Clinton City Schools, S L Tennessee and Aisin.
Flora W. Tydings, the Chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents, shared her thoughts on the GIVE grant funding that has been awarded throughout the state. She said, “The programs and projects funded by this latest round of GIVE Grants will create many new opportunities for Tennesseans to learn career-building skills to compete and advance in today’s technology-based economy, benefitting their families across generations and building strong communities. Our community and technical colleges are the front-line providers of academic, career, and technical education. We’re grateful to Governor Lee and the General Assembly for recognizing the need to bridge the skills gap and establishing the GIVE program to help close it.”
For more information about Tennessee College of Applied Technology Knoxville, visit the school’s website.