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BY NIC MILLER
STAR STAFF
nic.miller@elizabethton.com

Dean Blevins, President of TCAT Elizabethton, is encouraged by what he heard in Gov. Bill Lee’s state of the state address this week.

“The news of increased funding for TCATs across Tennessee in the amount of $200 million is significant in our work of providing a skilled workforce in Tennessee,” Blevins said.

While Lee wasn’t specific about how those funds could be used, Bevins has an idea.

“I suspect the funds would be used for brick and mortar infrastructure, much needed equipment for programs and first year start-up funding for faculty and staff salaries. The 26 TCATs across Tennessee serve approximately 30,000 students annually with around 11,000 students on program waitlists,” Blevins said.

Those include the near 1,000 students enrolled at TCAT Elizabethton and the 3,500 students on a waiting list.

Blevins said as the community begins to emerge from the shadow of COVID-19, he is excited for what these funds might mean.

“As we emerge from the COVID pandemic, workforce concerns for new and existing businesses all across Tennessee is a vital concern and this funding will be a game changer in addressing the workforce needs in Tennessee,” Blevins said.

More information on the funds set aside for TCAT campuses across Tennessee will be released in the near future, when the state legislature votes on whether to pass or deny the funds.