There's been talk for years of reviving the once successful Kirkman Technical School in Chattanooga, and a new coalition may finally make it possible.
County Mayor Jim Coppinger on Wednesday gave a sneak peek at what is going to be a new vocational school in Chattanooga. While different parties have been working out the finer details of the school for almost a year, there is still more work to be done, he said.
“It’s in the planning stages, but we’ve narrowed it down to where we think it would be centrally located and welcomed in the community,” said County Mayor Coppinger. “Again, this has been going on for eight to 10 months of planning. There’s a lot of planning involved in something like this.”
The preferred location is the former Mary Ann Garber School, which is near the Harriet Tubman site in East Chattanooga.
The mayor was visibly excited at the idea of the school saying, “We’re really, really excited about it. The reason being, the school will present opportunities to our young people to get certificates and be job-trained and job-placed after they’re trained to make a good living wage.”
Among the partners with the school are a host of entities who would benefit from a well-trained workforce, including local trades unions.
“Some of the partners we’re working with on this are the Associated General Contractors, who obviously have a big need for people in the trade,” said County Mayor Coppinger. “The Department of Education is also involved, as is Chattanooga State because of their TCAT program. And then a number of other partners like the city of Chattanooga are taking part.”
He said local construction firms have long complained that they could not find enough workers in the building trades and that the average age of building trade employees here is in the high 40s.
"There is a need for people who work on scaffolding and those who run Bobcats," he said, for example.
County Mayor Coppinger emphasized the fact that while there is enthusiasm surrounding the yet-unnamed vocational school, he still could not say too much about the particular details of the school.
“We’re trying to make certain that everything that’s needed to make it successful is ironed out before we roll it out,” said the mayor.
County Commissioner Tim Boyd, who is in the construction business, is part of the endeavor.
He said, "There is currently a very active effort to establish an elite vocational school within the county. It is a collaborative effort between local county government, the county schools and the private sector.
"I am working hard with Mayor Coppinger to assist his efforts in any way I can. By bringing many of my contractor friends, trades organizations, and local manufacturers to the table we hope to establish a vocational education curriculum that meets the needs of these industries.
"It is certainly a privilege to be asked by the mayor to participate in making this school a reality, and I support the mayor’s efforts 100 percent."