Community partners, construction industry leaders, educators, and elected officials on Friday morning helped celebrate the grand opening of Hamilton County's Construction Career Center.
It is a 28,000-square foot vocational workforce center for construction trades at the former Mary Ann Garber School on Roanoke Avenue.
At capacity, the Construction Career Center will offer education and training for up to 200 Hamilton County high school students and TCAT adult learners, as well as career guidance and job placement for all graduating students.
The celebration included school tours, touch-a-truck, and demonstrations.
Officials said, "With more than 40 percent of the U.S. construction workforce expected to retire over the next decade, according to a recent article in Forbes, the Construction Career Center project will help to address the labor shortage in the construction industry locally through training for up to 160 high school students and 40 adult students each year."
The Construction Career Center (CCC), a collaborative project between the Associated General Contractors of East Tennessee, the City of Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Hamilton County Schools, and Chattanooga State Community College, has been moving full steam ahead since earlier this year.
Since August, CCC classes have been held at Chattanooga State Community College while awaiting the completion of the new school. Dual enrollment students from East Ridge High School and the Howard School recently had the opportunity to work on Chattanooga State’s tiny house to help build their skills.
Senators Bo Watson and Todd Gardenhire and Reps. Greg Martin, Patsy Hazlewood, Yusuf Hakeem, Greg Vital and Esther Helton said, “The Hamilton County state legislative delegation celebrates the opening of the Construction Career Center in East Chattanooga. It is the result of a collaboration between local, state and federal governments and the private sector. The delegation is grateful for the significant financial contribution made by the taxpayers of the great state of Tennessee.”