Press Releases

Tennessee community and technical colleges are not only the college of choice for students seeking short-term training for high-wage careers but are a driving force for businesses choosing to relocate or expand their operations in Tennessee. Strategic partnerships between TBR – The College System of Tennessee and local businesses have laid the foundation for a workforce pipeline that eliminates concern in finding qualified and highly skilled labor – an enticing incentive at a time when nationwide labor shortages are still high. 

Tennessee’s community and technical colleges reported a 10% increase workforce and continuing education 

Dr. Jeff Sisk, who for nearly three decades has focused on helping students learn the skills necessary to be successful in the workplace, is the newly appointed executive director of the College System of Tennessee’s Center for Workforce Development.

A Navy veteran searching for a college that would be a good fit found that Pellissippi State Community College was a perfect choice.

Thanks to the generosity of our campus communities, food insecurity is less of a barrier to attendance for students in need and hunger is less prevalent in our broader communities.

Students, faculty and staff at Tennessee’s public community and technical colleges collected and donated the equivalent of 148,578 food items in the College System of Tennessee’s Annual Food Drive Challenge for 2022. The food and cash donations go to campus food pantries and local organizations, programs and food banks in their communities.

During its quarterly meeting today, the Tennessee Board of Regents appointed Susan L. Hatto as the next president of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Athens and Patrick Wade as the next president of TCAT Murfreesboro.

Chancellor Flora W. Tydings recommended both candidates to the board after reviewing input from the two college communities following campus forums last month, and then further interviewing the finalists. Both were among separate sets of finalists selected by search committees at their respective colleges.

Regina Watkins has been appointed director of veteran enrollment and benefits at TBR – The College System of Tennessee. In this new role, Watkins will work directly with the System’s 13 community colleges and 24 Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology across the state to support their School Certifying Officers (SCOs) in administering veteran education benefits. 

The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) will hold its next quarterly meeting Dec. 1. The agenda includes consideration of the chancellor’s recommendations for the next presidents of the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT) at Athens and Murfreesboro, proposed new career and technical education programs, financial reporting, and an update on construction of the new TCAT campus at Ford’s Blue Oval City project.

Four Tennessee community colleges are in the process of implementing self-designed pilot plans for Reimagining the Community College Experience – a Tennessee Board of Regents initiative to improve student success through more extensive career exploration, career advising and a workforce-focused certificate in a student’s first semester.

Tennessee’s community and technical colleges have kicked off their 24th Annual Food Drive Challenge, with campuses competing to collect the most food items and cash donations to help stock student food pantries on their campuses and food banks in their communities.

The colleges, comprising the College System of Tennessee, collected 132,701 items, including cash, in last year’s Challenge. Over the years, more than 1,490,700 food items and funds converted to items have been collected.