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TCAT Crump held a groundbreaking ceremony June 25, 2024, for the future home of its $12.9 million Farm Operations Building and Addition on the college’s main campus.
Site preparation and construction of the new 16,700 SF agriculture and maintenance facility, the 7,250 SF industry training center, and the 3,200 SF administration building remodel is set to begin soon with the facility tentatively scheduled to open to students by December 2025. It will house the college’s Farming Operations Technology program, industry training and multipurpose space, and a new academic program. The program offerings have been planned through data-driven analysis of workforce needs with assistance of business and industry in the region.
“This state-of-the-art building will help TCAT Crump expand its role as a leading career technical education center for workforce development in our local community,” said President Milligan. “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 addition 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.
Upon completion, the college will be ready to work closely with industry to develop programs to train their current workforce and add new programs to meet workforce needs. Existing diploma programs that will be relocated and expanded include Farming Operations Technology, Crop Production Technology, Livestock Production Management, Precision Agriculture Technology, and Forestry Operations. Plans also call for an industry training facility with multipurpose meeting space, expanded office areas, a livestock barn, and facilities maintenance space.
“As we recruit industry to Tennessee, one of the deciding factors is whether 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.”
Participating in the groundbreaking were President Stephen Milligan; Kevin Davis, Hardin County Mayor; Shannon Huff, CEO Tennessee Farmers Cooperative; Dr. Flora Tydings, Chancellor Tennessee Board of Regents.
TCAT Crump, part of the College System of Tennessee and governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents, offers career and technical education in fields including automotive/transportation, healthcare, manufacturing, computer technology, digital technology, farming, business administration, and construction. A complete list of program offerings is posted on the college’s website at www.tcatcrump.edu/programs.