CLARKSVILLE, TN – TCAT Dickson President Laura Travis has announced a new Tile Manufacturing Operator program to begin Fall 2026, at the Clarksville campus.
Flanked on Wednesday by Clarksville-Montgomery County workforce and industrial development agencies, and representatives from Florim U.S.A. and Tile Council of North America, Travis outlined the 600-hour, or 5-month Tile Manufacturing Operator program designed in collaboration with industry partners.
Travis said, “The implementation of our Tile Manufacturing Operator program is a significant step in strengthening the workforce pipeline for our region. By working closely with industry partners, we are equipping students with the specialized skills needed to succeed in modern tile manufacturing while helping employers meet the growing demand for a highly trained workforce.”
Andrew White has been selected to lead the program as Associate Instructor. White brings a decade of industrial maintenance and welding experience to the position along with multiple industry related certifications.
Michael Kephart of the Tile Council of North America said, “The tile industry requires technical skills. This new model starts at three TCAT schools and will expand across the state. The opportunity is there and the TCAT model is going to teach and provide a quality grade employee ready to hit the ground running.”
Students enrolled in the program will receive hands-on training in the tools, equipment, processes, and quality standards essential to modern ceramic tile operations.
From raw material handling, forming and shaping, drying and kiln operations, glazing and surface finishing, quality control, and basic automation and troubleshooting, students will gain practical experience preparing them for entry-level and advancing roles in the tile production and manufacturing industry.
“While the student is learning the curriculum they will also get real world hands-on experience. These are career jobs. This is a great opportunity, and these are great careers,” Kephart, a 40-year veteran of the tile industry, explained.
Florim U.S.A. in Clarksville is one of the largest floor and wall porcelain tile manufacturing plants in North America. Charles Martin, Employee Relations Manager at Florim U.S.A. said his organization jumped at the chance to help build the new Tile Manufacturing Operator program curriculum for TCATs. “One of the reasons we are excited about this program is that Florim U.S.A. has faces that have been there for 30 plus years. We have jobs but we want people who are looking for careers – somewhere you can hang your hat and stay for a while. The skills you will learn in this program will apply in any tile manufacturing plant,” Martin explained.
Students will have the opportunity to earn two certificates including Tile Manufacturing Associate at the completion of their first trimester and Tile Manufacturing Technician upon completion of the 600-hour program.
Additional third-party certifications students can earn during enrollment include Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSSC) Certified Production Technician (CPT); Safety – Quality Practices and Measurement, Manufacturing Processes and Production, and Maintenance Awareness; OSHA 30; and Precision Measurement through the National Coalition of Certification Centers – NC3.
Graduates will be prepared for employment as tile manufacturing operators, production technicians, kiln operators, quality inspectors, and material handling specialists.
“This program will prepare students for rewarding careers while ensuring employers have access to the skilled talent that they need to remain competitive and support continued economic growth in our region,” Travis explained.
Clarksville Industrial Development Board Director of Workforce Development Chris Self said, “When I first started this job five years ago, they were talking about a pipeline. This is exactly what they were talking about. This is a pipeline to get students in the workforce. The tile industry has created a pipeline through TCAT.”
Kephart stated the tile industry in the United States currently supplies about 30 percent of the entire tile market while 70 percent is manufactured in Europe, Asia, Brazil, Turkey, and other countries. “I want to invert that number where 70 percent of the tile is manufactured in the United States and 30 percent is made in other places. These are not hands in the dirt kinds of jobs. These are skilled jobs – technical jobs,” Kephart added.
TCAT Dickson offers 21 programs of study across its four campus locations in Dickson, Clarksville, Franklin, and Erin. For more information, visit tcatdickson.edu or call 615-441-6220.