Editorial: Phipps Bend TCAT is becoming a shining star

The state Board of Regents has affirmed a massive expansion of programs at the Phipps Bend Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) at Morristown in Hawkins County, including the truck driving, HVAC, welding and cosmetology programs. As well, a new program will be added, a nursing program by January 2027.The expansion of local educational programs is being driven by economic successes in locating new business and industry and job expansion in the area."Anticipating all these new companies coming in, we realize we need to get busy making sure we've got a trained workforce," said Hawkins County Commissioner Nancy Barker, who, with Industrial Board Chairman Larry Elkins, met last fall with state officials about the need for expansion at the Phipps Bend TCAT.In 2023, the Phipps Bend Industrial Park saw progress, with the completion of a road paving project, expansions and upgrades to both the water lines and the tank at the site.A contract was signed between Hawkins County and the Tennessee Department of Transportation to repave Phipps Bend Road, which was in desperate need of attention. The project was completed in October.Also, last year, Techni-Glass announced its seventh expansion. The glass company, which has merged with AROW Global, bought 7.1 acres of land to construct a new building with an initial investment of $8 million.The Phipps Bend TCAT officially opened its truck driving school, and the Hawkins County Industrial Development Board approved improvements to the park's water system. They expanded water lines to Symmco, the park's newest business, completed a water tank rehab project, and started improving and upgrading all water lines in the park.Baker, executive administrative coordinator for the Hawkins County Industrial Development Board, said goals included assisting existing businesses with TCAT expansion, working with TCAT to develop new programs, and continuing development of existing and potential industrial properties.Reportedly, the Phipps Bend's TCAT truck driving school expansion will be a prototype for the state, by putting classrooms and a driving bay in the same area where driving lessons take place."Students were having to drive down and sit in their car while the other people were being taught," Barker said. "That's just not conducive to good learning so (officials) asked for a building down there that had classrooms, so they're going to do that and have the instructors down there."Local officials had a TCAT health care program on their wish list and were pleasantly surprised by the proposed addition of a nursing program as part of the TCAT expansion plan."While we were sitting there brainstorming, they decided the cafeteria would make a good lab and maybe we could go ahead and do a nursing school, and some additional classrooms," Barker said. "They're also going to do some upgrades to the infrastructure to the building, the water, exhaust system, and things that had needed to be done and were neglected."The state hopes to complete this project by January 2027."We also told her we had 20 other acres, and we'd be happy if she wanted to add anything to that 20 acres. She didn't realize we had that much land available, and they were going to look into some other possibilities there."The state operates 24 schools of applied technology, and Phipps Bend TCAT is becoming a shining star, thanks to dedicated folks such as Barker.The expansion of local educational programs is being driven by economic successes in locating new business and industry and job expansion in the area.