News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
TCAT Livingston was named a recipient of a Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) 2.0 grant.
The $1 million grant will be used to expand TCAT services across the Upper Cumberland and create a robotics program. Governor Bill Lee said that it’s important to the state’s economy to invest in the talents of its students.
“It is an expansion that gives pathways to success for those of you who are gifted in ways that really connect your brain to your hands,” Lee said. “A lot of students don’t have that gifted. We need to take the students that do, and create a pathway for their success. And what that does is it creates a skilled workforce.”
TCAT Livingston President Dr. Myra West said that this grant means the school will be able to give new training opportunities to its students. She said the grant will provide students with state-of-the-art robotic equipment and provide rural students transportation to train in various programs at TCAT’s main campus.
West said that it can also provide funding for an instructor and help students and teachers get more externship opportunities. She said they explored robotics because there is a growing industry need.
“As we looked at the workforce needs of the Upper Cumberland, robotics is a technology that is coming in and employees are having more robotics in their businesses whether its the hospital or whether its an advanced manufacturing,” West said. “We know that’s where the future workforce needs to be so we want to have those individuals trained with the skills they need so that when they get out and there are openings they’ll be prepared to walk right in and start to work.”
