Ground Breaking Set for TCAT Henry/Carroll- Paris Campus

Paris (November 4, 2024) – Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Henry/Carroll has scheduled a groundbreaking ceremony for noon on November 20, 2024, for the future home of its new campus at 5215 Highway 218 Bypass, Paris. The public is invited and parking is at West Wheel and Tire, 5320 Hwy 218 Bypass, Paris. 

Site preparation has begun, and construction is scheduled for February 2025 of the new 99,618-square-foot facility, including an administrative and academic building. The new campus is scheduled to open to students by late fall 2026. Upon completion, the college will be ready to accept students into its existing and expanded programs. These program offerings have been planned through data-driven analysis of workforce needs with the assistance of businesses and industries in the region.

“This state-of-the-art building will help TCAT Henry/Carroll expand its role as a leading career technical education center for workforce development in our local community,” said President John Penn Ridgeway. “We’re excited to begin construction of this long-awaited facility, which was made possible by Governor Lee’s $1 billion investment in the TCAT Master Plan.”

This new facility, along with a new administrative/academic building on the branch campus in McKenzie, is funded by the generational $1 billion investment in the statewide TCAT Master Plan proposed by Gov. Bill Lee and approved by the Tennessee General Assembly – 29 major projects that include new TCAT extension campuses, new buildings on existing campuses, and other expansions and upgrades. 

In July, 2024, TCAT officials gathered in McKenzie to ceremoniously break ground for the new administrative building on the campus.

Dr. Flora Tydings, chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents, said the new facility will replace the one that was held together by ‘duct tape’, a common practice for TCAT officials across Tennessee who know how to innovate. A new influx of state funding of $1 billion will help TCAT centers across Tennessee to modernize facilities. She complimented the McKenzie campus for its operations since the 1960s and Willie Huffman for his service as president.

Willie Huffman, immediate past president of TCAT-McKenzie and TCAT-Henry/Carroll in Paris said the new facility will provide modern facilities for the 59-year-old campus. The new complex will be situated in front and right of the existing administrative building. Once complete, the existing administrative building will be razed.

Huffman said the instructional wing to the rear of the campus will remain. That is where welding, automotive technology, heat and air conditioning, industrial maintenance, and information system technology classes are held.

A walkway will connect the current classrooms to the new administrative/classroom building.

 

 

In his 2023 State of the State address, Gov. Lee said the TCAT Master Plan funding would be the “largest investment in our technical colleges in state history” and is needed to help prepare Tennessee for the future. “Our state’s economic success can also be measured by the number of jobs created – 170,000 new jobs in just four years. Now, our workforce pipeline must keep up,” Lee said. 

 

“As we recruit industry to Tennessee, one of the deciding factors is whether or not we have a trained workforce readily available and the educational system to retrain and upskill,” said Bradley Jackson, president and CEO of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “It makes our job easy when we tell them our state has prioritized technical training through our community colleges and TCATs and can provide customized training if needed.”

 

TCAT Henry/Carroll, part of the College System of Tennessee and governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents, offers career and technical education programs. A complete list of program offerings is posted on the college’s website at www.tcathenrycarroll.edu/programs. 

 

 

About TCAT Henry/Carroll

The Tennessee College of Applied Technology Henry/Carroll is at the forefront of technical education, offering a diverse range of programs that equip students with the skills needed for today’s workforce. As part of the Tennessee Board of Regents system and accredited by the COE, TCAT Henry/Carroll ensures a high-quality educational experience focused on student success and job placement. TCAT Henry/Carroll, with a main campus in Paris, a branch campus in McKenzie and instructional service centers in Weakley and Benton counties, is led by President John Penn Ridgeway. 

 

About TBR – The College System of Tennessee

The College System of Tennessee is the state’s largest public higher education system, with 13 community colleges, 24 colleges of applied technology and the online TN eCampus serving approximately 120,000 students. The system is governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents.