The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) announced that Chattanooga State Community College was awarded a $939,623 grant through the Labor Education Alignment Program (LEAP). The grant is one of 12 that was announced this week.
“Chattanooga State is honored to partner with the SETDC to serve the Bledsoe, Hamilton and Marion counties through the Advanced Manufacturing Skills and Internships Program made possible by the LEAP grant,” said Dr. Flora Tydings, president of Chattanooga State Community College. "We are fortunate the State of Tennessee leaders continue to invest in higher education and workforce alignment, and we would like to thank the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and the State of Tennessee for the opportunity to further our strategies of producing a more qualified workforce in Tennessee.”
An initiative of Governor Bill Haslam’s Drive to 55, LEAP was developed to ensure that Tennessee is graduating skilled workers ready to take on the jobs offered by employers and industry. The program aims to close skills gaps by ensuring that students enrolled in courses provided by Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) and community colleges gain the necessary skills to meet the requirements of high-skill and high-technology jobs demanded by industry leaders in the state.
Chattanooga State will serve eight high schools. Tyner, Central and East Hamilton in Hamilton County are focused primarily on mechatronics, while Sequoyah students are focused on welding and machining training. In Marion County, Marion County and South Pittsburg high schools offer pathways in welding, machine tool and robotics; however, Whitwell will use LEAP funds to launch new industry-driven industrial maintenance training. Dual enrollment or credit is to be offered in all Marion County high schools. Bledsoe County High School (BCHS) offers a manufacturing cluster, including Principles of Manufacturing, Welding I and II. In order to meet regional industrial needs, welding is BCHS’s primary focus.
“If we can eliminate gaps in the skills needed by local manufacturers and other companies and the types of degrees and courses offered by local community and technical colleges, we can strengthen our workforce to meet industry demands,” Governor Haslam said. “These LEAP grants help create programs that tie specific training and skills to current workforce needs, helping more Tennesseans qualify for good, high-paying jobs. This is a key piece of our Drive to 55 campaign to increase the number of Tennesseans with a postsecondary degree or credential to 55 percent by 2025.”
LEAP is administered by THEC and advised by the Governor’s Workforce Sub-Cabinet.