TCAT Upper Cumberland is expanding its reach, with a new campus in Bledsoe County set to open later this year.
TCAT Upper Cumberland President Cliff Wightman said the facility is currently under construction and expects to begin enrolling students by July. Wightman said the project represents the culmination of an eight-year collaboration between the college and local leaders from surrounding communities.
“That was the whole idea behind that campus for years,” Wightman said. “Any one given day at the Crossville campus, there would be folks from either Van Buren, Bledsoe, even as far as Sequatchie County, White County, depending on which part they lived in. So, yeah, that was the idea, put a campus down there, offer some key programs to give those folks a closer access to education.”
Wightman said the campus will initially offer programs in welding, practical nursing, powerline construction, electrical technology, and plumbing technology. Wightman said these specific fields were chosen because they represent the most active industries in that region of the state.
“I’m firmly convinced, of course, I’ve, my whole career I’ve always worked with rural counties, and as TCATs we do a great job of working with rural industries,” Wightman said. “One part of that is, is I think having a campus in a rural area like that, that has the ability to expand for industry, that’s just a draw for industry to move to that area. They understand that they’ve got a trained, skilled workforce right there available, and so they, they make an option to move to those areas.”
Wightman said the college utilizes advisory committees made up of active industry professionals, such as maintenance managers and nurses, to keep the curriculum current. Wightman said these committees meet at least three times a year to provide input on technological changes and industry needs.
“TCATs train to what is localized,” Wightman said. “We do our best to have a student prepared to go if they choose to leave the area, but most of the training you’ll see is centralized about, centralized around what’s in the local area. That way it assures our graduates a clear path to employment.”
Wightman said the location along the Highway 127 corridor is strategic for students in Van Buren and White Counties who previously faced long commutes for technical training. Wightman said the college aims to remove transportation barriers, noting that saving a student 15 miles of driving can significantly impact their ability to complete a program.
“It’s all the same mindset with all presidents and staff and faculty is always student-first,” Wightman said. “This goes all the way into our chancellor and to our governing boards, it’s always student-first every single day. When you come on the campus, that’s, I always tell everybody you want to stay on the good side of me when you pull on the campus, you better be ready to dedicate your day to someone else.”
Wightman said the presence of the campus could serve as a catalyst for future industrial development along the Highway 127 and Highway 111 corridors.
