Tennessee College of Applied Technology Dickson and Clarksville campuses receive million-dollar grant to boost career and education programs

The Dickson and Clarksville campus of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology has just received a $1 Million Perkins READI Grant from the Tennessee Board of Regents and the federal Perkins Grant Program to fund its career and technical education programs.

The Perkins READI Grant is a funding opportunity set up by the Tennessee Board of Regents for Career and Technical Education programs. READI stands for Recruit Engage And Develop Innovation, according to the most recent funding announcement. The Tennessee Board of Regents is a governing body of higher education schools in Tennessee that sets policy guidelines for the schools it governs.

The Tennessee College of Applied Technology Dickson campus is among six other Tennessee technical and community colleges receiving Perkins READI grants from the Board of Regents, with a grand total of $5.7 million of grants being given out. All seven schools participated in a competitive application process for the grant money.

Speaking with Clarksville Now, Arrita Summers, president of Tennessee College of Applied Technology, said, “We are grateful for this generous investment in our students. This opportunity allows us to make exciting improvements in our programs, offering our students current and competitive skills to be more successful in the workforce.”

The grant money will go toward buying new equipment such as industry certification kits and teaching supplies, as well as professional development resources. The largest portion of the money will go toward equipping the machine tool program with new electrical discharge machining machines with an allocation of a quarter-million dollars.

The Chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents, Flora W. Tydings, commented on the school’s plans for the grant money, saying, “While there were many good applications, singling out the best was a difficult process. I look forward to seeing how the colleges make a difference in the lives of their students and their communities with this funding.”

The Tennessee College of Applied Technology Dickson campus offers sixteen programs such as Practical Nursing, Dental Assisting, Pharmacy Technology, and more. The school also offers dual enrollment for high school students.