Enrollment open for TCAT Fentress County’s new telecommunications and underground construction technology program, with the first classes set to begin October 26.
Associate Instructor of Telecommunications and Underground Construction Technology Loren Queener said the six-month program consists of 650 clock hours and is designed to provide specialized trade training for the regional workforce. The curriculum includes certifications in CPR, flagging and OSHA 10, along with truck driving and CDL training.
“This possibly is the first program like this in the country,” Queener said. “You know, they do a lot of other, the auto mechanics and welding and nursing and other great things. With the rise of AI and a lot of jobs going away, the trade schools are just getting more and more important.”
Queener said students will have access to a new Cat 304 excavator and Cat 255 skid steer as part of their hands-on training. Queener said the program is designed to give graduates experience they can carry directly into the workforce.
“You’re not going to graduate and be a top lineman or a top guy but you are going to have a leg up on any other competition that’s looking for these same jobs at the entry level position,” Queener said. “They’re going to know how to install underground fiber optics, utility lines and some aerial telecommunications as well.”
The program includes a dedicated indoor facility and approximately an acre and a half of outdoor space where students can work with machinery and practice pole line construction.
“I want these people when they leave here, the students to be able to understand what’s going on as soon as they step onto a construction site,” Queener said. “They understand the safety measures, they know of the equipment they’re looking at, they know the processes of what’s about to happen and I’m trying to make it just as real world as we can get it.”
Queener said TCAT has partnered with NUCA Tennessee and several private companies, with employers already expressing interest in students who will enter the program.
“Having a program like this to be able to take time to explain the processes, to talk about the processes, to physically show the processes, just gives a level of confidence that I think will increase not only job placement but longevity,” Queener said.
Queener said enrollment will intentionally remain limited during the program’s initial classes, allowing instructors to provide more individualized training as TCAT builds the new program.
