The state of Tennessee will develop a new Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) in partnership with a new Ford electric vehicle and battery plant.
Specifically, the new TCAT program will be located at the Memphis Regional Megasite and will provide students with education and training designed in conjunction with Ford.
The announcement from Governor Bill Lee’s office details that new vocational college will train individuals on “electric vehicle and battery manufacturing and repair with the curriculum concentrating on mechatronics engineering and automechanics.”
“Leading companies select Tennessee because of our skilled workforce,” said Lee. “This unique partnership with Ford and SK Innovation will enable Tennesseans to skill up and meet the specific employment demands of Blue Oval City. Tennessee stands ready to provide a twenty-first century workforce.”
The development by Ford, known as Blue Oval City, will invest a total of $5.6 billion in the area, as the group builds a 3,600-acre campus.
Additionally, the new investment will bring approximately 5,800 new jobs in West Tennessee and additional revenue to the state.
“Customized industry training is what the Tennessee Board of Regents does to ensure our graduates are employable and productive from day one. This new workforce training center planned for the Memphis Regional Megasite in partnership with Ford and SK Innovation will equip Tennesseans with the skills they need for rewarding careers, now and for years to come,” said Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Flora Tydings.
“We are extremely excited to be working alongside Ford Motor Company and SK Innovation in changing lives and the landscape of Tennessee. Thanks to the Governor and the legislature, this center will allow us to continue and enhance our mission of student success and workforce development.”
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for the Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Laboratory of Smart Grids and Electric Vehicles” by INESC TEC. CC BY 3.0.
now wait a minute.i am as conservative as they come and involved politically in a county that joins haywood. if you could witness the unemploymemt .lack of education and jobs you might think differently if you lived here .for years west tenn has seen all the good projects going to middle and east tenn. what should we spend tax dollars on?
to help our people or put it back in the pockets of selfish people?
good job governor and thanks
James, you don’t spend tax dollars to create jobs. And that’s exactly what the Gov did when he offered Ford tax incentives to move here. Hell, I’d like a tax incentive for being a loyal resident of Tennessee and not have to pay property tax, gas tax, sales tax, etc, but I do. What makes a corporation so damn special?
You do know that the money they save on not paying taxes will end up in the Executive’s pockets as bonuses, right?
You might have these much needed new jobs coming to the area but at what cost? Gov Lee’s tax incentives are nothing more than corporate welfare. And when those tax incentives expire, Ford will move out and leave everyone of you jobless.
So yeah, good…good job Gov Lee….
the second sentence says it all. i am selfish.
I wonder when the payoffs to Ford are going to end. I sure would like to see my taxes lowered instead of throwing them at crony capitalism.
Alternate headline, ‘Governor Lee funds Ford’s tax incentives off the backs of the middleclass’
Governor, you’re not the Conservative you said you were in your campaign ad.