Hundreds of West Tennesseans, including Governor Bill Lee, Senator Bill Hagerty, members of the Tennessee Board of Regents, and TBR Chancellor Flora W. Tydings, gathered on June 14 to celebrate the opening of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) at Stanton. This new campus is the latest addition to the College System of Tennessee and functions as both a workforce training center and an open-access institution for career, technical, and academic programs.
TCAT at Stanton serves as an extension of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Jackson. The $60 million, 120,000-square-foot facility, announced by Governor Lee in September 2021, aims to train employees for manufacturers at the West Tennessee Megasite industrial complex and to accommodate students interested in technical education. Construction, which began in December 2022, was completed three weeks ahead of schedule.
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During the opening ceremony, state and local officials, including Governor Lee and Senator Hagerty, spoke about the anticipated impact of the facility. Following the speeches, officials participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony, accompanied by music from the Haywood High School Band.
Governor Lee emphasized the significance of the new campus, stating, “The opening of this beautiful educational facility represents so much of what my hope for the future of Tennessee is.” Chancellor Tydings also expressed gratitude to the governor, legislators, and community leaders for their support in establishing the Megasite.
The campus will offer a variety of career and technical education programs, including Automotive Technology, Electric Vehicle Production Technology, Industrial Maintenance Technology with Integrated Automation, Tool and Die Machining Technology, and Welding Technology. Additionally, Dyersburg State Community College will provide general academic core courses at TCAT at Stanton, starting this fall, to support higher education degrees.
Designed by Memphis-based architecture firm archimania and built by Montgomery Martin Contractors, the new campus includes 12 stand-alone classrooms, six classrooms attached to high-bay technology labs, four high-bay technology labs, and a large workforce training simulation space. The facility also features meeting and multipurpose student areas, including a dedicated Veterans’ Services area.
The College System of Tennessee, governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents, is the state’s largest public higher education system, serving approximately 140,000 students across 13 community colleges, 24 colleges of applied technology, and the online TN eCampus.
For more information, contact Richard Locker at 615-366-4417 or follow on Twitter at @CollegeSystemTN.
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Road Construction Updates in West Tennessee
From June 12-19, 2024, various road construction projects will cause temporary lane closures across multiple counties in West Tennessee to facilitate repairs and new installations.