Groundbreaking held at TCAT Northwest's Covington campus

Photo/ provided by TCAT Northwest

SPECIAL TO THE STATE GAZETTE

Covington (October 1, 2024) – Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Northwest held a groundbreaking ceremony on October 1, 2024, for the future home of its $49,500,000 Replacement Campus on the college’s Covington Campus.

Site preparation and construction of two new buildings totaling just under 100,000 square feet will provide classrooms, labs, and support spaces that will accommodate over 425 full-time-equivalent students per term. Plans also call for a 400-seat multi-purpose conference center. Construction is set to begin soon with the facility tentatively scheduled to open to students by February 2027.

Project phasing will allow the existing campus to remain fully active during construction by locating the new buildings around the perimeter of the site.

The newly expanded campus will house the college’s programs in Administrative Office Technology, Computer Information Technology, Farming Operations, Welding, Machine Tool and Industrial Maintenance Technology, HVAC, with additional programs for heavy equipment and Automotive Technology as well as Hybrid Electric Vehicles. The program offerings have been planned through data-driven analysis of workforce needs with the assistance of businesses and industries in the region.

“This state-of-the-art building will help TCAT Northwest expand its role as a leading career technical education center for workforce development in our local community,” said President Youlanda Jones. “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.”

The upgrade is funded by the generational $1 billion investment in the statewide TCAT Master Plan proposed by Gov. Bill Lee and approved by the Tennessee General Assembly – 29 major projects that include new TCAT extension campuses, new buildings on existing campuses, and other expansions and upgrades.

In his 2023 State of the State address, Gov. Lee said the TCAT Master Plan funding would be the “largest investment in our technical colleges in state history” and is needed to help prepare Tennessee for the future. “Our state’s economic success can also be measured by the number of jobs created – 170,000 new jobs in just four years. Now, our workforce pipeline must keep up.

“Pathways to success don’t look the same for every Tennessean, nor should they. For many, a certification from one of our Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology will open the right doors. Since 2019, we've prioritized TCAT construction across this state, so more Tennesseans can kickstart a great career close to home. Today, nearly 9 out of 10 graduates get a job in the field they studied,” he said.

“As we recruit industry to Tennessee, one of the deciding factors is whether or not we have a trained workforce readily available and the educational system to retrain and upskill,” said Bradley Jackson, president and CEO of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“It makes our job easy when we tell them our state has prioritized technical training through our community colleges and TCATs and can provide customized training if needed.”

TCAT Northwest, part of the College System of Tennessee and governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents, offers career and technical education programs including Administrative Office Technology, Aesthetics Technology, Automotive Technology, Barbering, Barbering Instructor, Building Construction Technology, Computer Aided Design Technology, Computer Information Technology, Cosmetology, Cosmetology Instructor, Dental Assisting Technology, Diesel Powered Equipment Technology, Digital Agronomy, Electric Vehicle Production Technology, Farming Operations Technology, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, Hybrid Electric Vehicle, Industrial Electricity, Industrial Maintenance Automation, Industrial Maintenance Mechatronics, Industrial Maintenance Molding, Machine Tool Technology, Patient Care Technology/Medical Assisting, Pharmacy Technology, Practical Nursing, Truck Driving, and Welding Technology. A complete list of program offerings is posted on the college’s website at www.tcatnorthwest.edu/programs.