NASHVILLE, TN — The Tennessee State Building Commission today approved the early design phase of the new TCAT Knoxville Higher Education Center in Anderson County.

The 47,603 square-foot technology training facility will be located in the city of Clinton. It will be a shared-use building for TCAT Knoxville and Roane State Community College dedicated to training students for the modern workforce.

Lt. Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) presided over the State Building Commission meeting approving the design and was integral in getting the project approved.

“Our technical colleges provide students the invaluable skills they need to compete in today’s job market. Tennessee works hard to attract high-quality jobs to our state. It is important that those jobs go to Tennesseans,” said Lt. Governor McNally.

“We have some of the hardest-working people in the nation right here in Anderson County. Our TCAT facilities are some of the most effective institutions of higher learning in the state. I am tremendously pleased to see this campus begin to take shape and look forward to it becoming a key economic driver for our region,” McNally concluded.

The one-level structure will contain space for the programs for the TCAT Knoxville’s diesel tech, auto tech, machine tool, industrial electrical maintenance, welding mechatronics and building construction trades. The Roane State Community College area will include plastic injection molding, industrial electrical maintenance and mechatronics. Multi-functional classrooms are included for each program, faculty and administrative offices.

“The new location in Anderson County is specifically targeted for students and employers in that region. We’re meeting a need with targeted training and other programs. Basically it’s a workforce development issue that has to be solved – and that building will be the answer. The employers are the driving force behind getting that location in Anderson County,” said TCAT Knoxville President Kelli Chaney.

“The new campus will have much more space, many more opportunities and easier access for students in that area -- to get to a campus that is innovative and creative, targeting advanced manufacturing, automotive and the building trades,” Chaney concluded.

The property was donated to the Tennessee Board of Regents from SL Corporation, a manufacturer of automotive supplies. SL and other industries in the area are seeking trained individuals for their industries.