TCAT Livingston Addressing Workforce Needs With New Programs

Tennessee Applied Technology at Livingston….addressing workforce needs with new programs that will begin later this year.

One of those programs approved by the Tennessee Board of Regents, power pole construction, as part of a partnership with the Jackson County Board of Education. Myra West is President of TCAT at Livingston.

“We’re excited about having that opportunity in Jackson County. It gives Jackson County a TCAT presence and gives them a program that they will be able to offer in post-secondary to residents in Jackson County, but also to residents in the Upper Cumberland,” West said.

Right now, individuals throughout the Upper Cumberland travel to Georgia, Kentucky, and Oneida to get this type of training.

“It’s very specialized and it’s not offered across the state,” West said. “We are very proud to be able to stand that program up and give individuals an opportunity to receive power line or linemen training.”

That program will be offered to adults later this fall at a building located next to Jackson County High School.

Other programs include welding and patient care technology, which will be offered at the Cookeville Higher Education Campus. Additionally, the board of regents also approved TCAT to begin offering a manicuring course at it’s Livingston Campus.

“We have a cosmetology program and we’ve had a nail tech program exit point within that program for quite some time,” West said. ” Now students will have the opportunity to enroll in just the manicuring program and receive a nail tech certification as part of that program, rather than doing the full cosmetology program.”

When deciding what courses to add, West said TCAT looks at the needs of the local workforce by doing surveys and talking to different employers about demand.

“We decide if we can stand up a program that will produce a pipeline of skilled workers so that individuals in the Upper Cumberland can obtain the training they need, but be able to have good paying jobs and stay in the Upper Cumberland.”

West said residents interested in taking part in or applying for the courses can go ahead and contact the TCAT Livingston office at 931-823-5525.

The manicuring course will hopefully be offered later this summer. Patient care and technology courses will begin in September and the welding program in May.