The Tennessee State Building Commission in Nashville on Thursday approved the early design phase of the new TCAT Knoxville Higher Education Center in Anderson County, a press release said.
The 47,603 square-foot technology training facility will be located in the city of Clinton. It will be a shared-use building for TCAT Knoxville and Roane State Community College dedicated to training students for the modern workforce, the press release said.
TCAT is the Tennessee College of Applied Technology.
Tennessee Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally, an Oak Ridge Republican, presided over the State Building Commission meeting approving the design and was integral in getting the project approved, the press release said.
“Our technical colleges provide students the invaluable skills they need to compete in today’s job market,” McNally said. “Tennessee works hard to attract high-quality jobs to our state. It is important that those jobs go to Tennesseans.”
McNally said TCAT facilities are some of the most effective institutions of higher learning in the state.
“I am tremendously pleased to see this campus begin to take shape and look forward to it becoming a key economic driver for our region,” McNally said.
The one-level structure will contain space for the programs for the TCAT Knoxville’s diesel tech, auto tech, machine tool, industrial electrical maintenance, welding mechatronic,s and building construction trades. The Roane State Community College area will include plastic injection molding, industrial electrical maintenance, and mechatronics. Multi-functional classrooms are included for each program, faculty, and administrative offices, the press release said.
“The new location in Anderson County is specifically targeted for students and employers in that region,” said TCAT Knoxville President Kelli Chaney. “We’re meeting a need with targeted training and other programs. Basically, it’s a workforce development issue that has to be solved—and that building will be the answer. The employers are the driving force behind getting that location in Anderson County.”
Chaney said the new campus will have more space, more opportunities, and easier access for students in the area. That will help provide a campus that is innovative and creative, targeting advanced manufacturing, automotive, and the building trades, Chaney said.
The property was donated to the Tennessee Board of Regents from SL Corporation, a manufacturer of automotive supplies. SL and other industries in the area are seeking trained individuals for their industries.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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