CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Governor Bill Haslam was in Clarksville Tuesday, June 9 to present a check for $450,000 to the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Dickson’s Clarksville Campus on International Boulevard.
It was the governor’s first stop in the state highlighting the role TCAT’s play in preparing the state’s workforce and achieving the Drive to 55. The funds will be used for implementing a new diesel technology training program and equipment at the school.
The governor talked about his Drive to 55 program. “Ten years from now in 2025, of all the jobs that will exist in Tennessee, 55 percent will require a degree or certificate, some post-secondary education. More Tennesseans need to be trained with a certificate or degree than have in the past,” said Haslam.
Earlier this year the governor highlighted Tennessee Reconnect, a scholarship program allowing an adult to attend a TCAT free of tuition and fees. That program is part of Haslam’s landmark Tennessee Promise legislation passed last year.
Haslam was joined by local legislators, State Senator Mark Green, State Senator Kerry Roberts, State Representative Curtis Johnson, State Representative Joe Pitts, State Representative Mary Littleton, State Representative Jay Reedy, and Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan.