Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission have announced that TCAT-McMinnville has been awarded a $2 million grant through the Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) program.

The GIVE program, established soon after Gov. Lee took office in 2019, is designed to address skills gaps in Tennessee’s workforce by supporting the development of career pathways that connect postsecondary institutions with local K-12 school systems and local employers.

This is the third round of GIVE grants to be awarded and will allocate a total of $41 million to foster regional partnerships between community colleges, Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs), and local industries. The new funding will support 23 projects statewide, through partnerships based at 20 different community colleges and TCATs.

TCAT-McMinnville applied for a GIVE Grant for Workforce Impact and Flexible Innovation. This was a partnership with Tennessee College of Applied Technology Shelbyville, Upper Cumberland Development District (UCDD), Upper Cumberland Workforce Board (UCWB), Warren County Chamber of Commerce (WCCC), Warren County Industrial Development Board (WCIDB),Coffee County Industrial Board (CCIB), Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency (UCHRA), Southeast Tennessee Human Resource Agency (SETHRA), Cannon County High School (CCHS), Coffee County Central High School (CCCHS), DeKalb County High School (DCHS), Grundy County High School (GCHS), Warren County High School (WCHS), Franklin County School District (FCSD) and Tullahoma City Schools/Tullahoma High School (THS), Nissan Group of North America, Great Lakes Cheese, National Aerospace Solutions, LLC (AEDC), Yorozu Automotive Tennessee and Kasai North America.

The GIVE grant proposal included the following advanced manufacturing expansions:

· Industrial Maintenance dual enrollment for Coffee, DeKalb, Grundy, and Warren counties

· Advanced Manufacturing Technician (AMT) certificate for Franklin, Grundy, and Warren counties along with Tullahoma High School. TCAT Shelbyville is partnering with TCAT – McMinnville to begin the AMT certificate at Tullahoma and Franklin County High Schools.

· AMT certificate at the McMinnville, Coffee, Shelbyville, and Franklin TCAT campuses

· Mobile trainers for the existing portable trailer to be used in recruiting and providing work-based learning opportunities at elementary, middle, and high schools as well as community events

· Industrial Maintenance program equipment upgrades at TCAT campuses

· Transportation for less populated and impoverished Grundy and Cannon counties to our campuses for enhanced program access

“The GIVE 3.0 grant will help rural students from elementary to adult better understand advanced manufacturing concepts. Success in advanced manufacturing will propel our rural area’s workforce development. TCAT – McMinnville is honored to receive this grant and support our region”. Said TCATMcMinnville President, Dr. Melody Edmonds.

In announcing the new round of GIVE Grants, Gov. Lee said, “The state with the workers will win every time, and that’s why workforce development has been one of my top priorities since day one,” said Gov. Lee. “As a result, companies are choosing to invest and expand in our state, creating greater opportunity and quality of life for all Tennesseans.”

Since creating GIVE, the state has invested $91.5 million into the program to support rural workforce development through technical education. The first and second rounds of GIVE funding in 2019 and 2021 served an estimated 15,500 students. Tennessee has made notable progress in rural workforce development which has resulted in securing over 41,500 new jobs and nearly $19 billion in capital investment in rural counties since 2019.

Grants of up to $2 million each are awarded through the GIVE program to collaborative efforts that create or expand academic programs, develop work-based learning experiences, or provide industryrecognized certifications in areas of high demand. This initiative not only aims to meet the current needs of employers but also to stimulate economic growth by ensuring that Tennessee’s education system is aligned with workforce requirements.

Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Flora W. Tydings commended the colleges for initiating the partnerships and applying for and winning the grants to benefit career and technical education in their communities. “The programs and projects funded by this latest round of GIVE Grants will create many new opportunities for Tennesseans to learn career-building skills to compete and advance in today’s technology-based economy, benefitting their families across generations and building strong communities.

“Our community and technical colleges are the front-line providers of academic, career, and technical education. We’re grateful to Governor Lee and the General Assembly for recognizing the need to bridge the skills gap and establishing the GIVE program to help close it,” Dr. Tydings said.