A new building taking shape on White Bridge Road is part of a massive effort to revitalize Tennessee’s technical colleges.
Why it matters: Technical colleges educate nurses, mechanics and electricians. But classes often take place in outdated buildings that were built in the 1960s and 1970s.
- Administrators say upgrades underway now will boost capacity and weave in technology that better prepares students for the workplace.
State of play: A 2023 state report outlined the dire need across the state’s network of 27 Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs).
- Gov. Bill Lee and state lawmakers doled out more than $1.5 billion over a few years to fund dozens of projects.
The big picture:
doesn’t have enough workers to fill its open jobs, and state leaders see TCATs as pivotal training grounds for new professionals.
- The statewide upgrades will make room to train thousands of additional students per year, according to state estimates.
Zoom in: The scope of the changes are obvious at TCAT Nashville on White Bridge Road, where new buildings have been taking shape for months…