Haslam Announces Grants For Pellissippi State, TCAT-Knoxville

Workforce Development Grants Totaling $1,837,475 Address Training Needs

KNOXVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced grants totaling $1,837,475 to fund equipment needed at Pellissippi State Community College and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Knoxville.

Pellissippi State will receive $1,386,975, and TCAT-Knoxville will receive $450,000, with the grants funding two programs at each school.

The governor proposed and the General Assembly approved $16.5 million in this year’s budget for equipment and technology related to workforce development programs at Tennessee colleges of applied technology and community colleges, part of Haslam’s “Drive to 55” effort to increase the number of Tennesseans with post-secondary credentials.

Pellissippi State’s funds will go toward the school’s programs in advanced manufacturing and nursing.  The funds for TCAT-Knoxville will be for its industrial maintenance program and a second diesel powered equipment program on the campus of South Doyle High School in partnership with Knox County Schools.

“These grants represent a substantial investment that will result in highly skilled workers,” Haslam said. “This will help meet the growing demand among employers in the region for well-trained employees.”

In cooperation with TCAT-Knoxville, Pelissippi State’s engineering technology programs will not only train college students and employees of regional manufacturers but also provide dual enrollment possibilities for local high school students at the Knox County Schools’ new Magnet Academy.

The Pellissippi State nursing program is currently in the process of expanding and will require new laboratories. The expansion will include an LPN to RN program, which is new to the college. The equipment consists of high-tech human simulation models and related technology.

The TCAT-Knoxville grant will allow the college to double its student capacity in both the industrial maintenance and diesel powered equipment programs.           

“These improvements will go a long way toward helping us meet the goals of Drive to 55,” Haslam said. “Currently, only 32 percent of Tennesseans have certificates or degrees beyond high school, and studies show that by 2025, that number must be 55 percent to meet workforce demands. These workforce development grants help us directly meet workforce training needs.”

These strategic investments resulted from the governor meeting with businesses and education officials across the state last fall to better understand workforce development needs. One of the most common themes Haslam heard was the lack of capacity and equipment at Tennessee colleges of applied technology and community colleges to meet job demand, so these grants are aimed at addressing those gaps