Published: 12/2/2021

TENNESSEE GOVERNOR BILL LEE ANNOUNCED RECENTLY PROJECTS RECEIVING FUNDING THROUGH THE SECOND ROUND OF THE GOVERNOR’S INVESTMENT IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAM WHICH PRIORITIZES LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES IN RURAL COUNTIES AND ENHANCES CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION STATEWIDE. TENNESSEE HAS MADE NOTABLE PROGRESS IN RURAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN RECENT YEARS WHICH HAS RESULTED IN SECURING OVER 24,000 NEW JOBS AND NEARLY $13 BILLION IN CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN RURAL COUNTIES SINCE 2019. SINCE CREATING GIVE, GOV. LEE’S FIRST LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY, HE HAS INVESTED $50 MILLION IN THE PROGRAM TO SUPPORT RURAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH TECHNICAL EDUCATION. THE FIRST ROUND OF GIVE FUNDING IN 2019 SERVED AN ESTIMATED 8,000 STUDENTS, AND THIS SECOND ROUND WILL SERVE AN ESTIMATED 7,500 STUDENTS.  AMONG THE 27 FUNDED PROJECTS INCLUDE COLUMBIA STATE COMMUNITY COLLGE IN THE AMOUNT OF 999,400 DOLLARS FOR EMT TRAINING PROGRAM IN HICKMAN COUNTY SCHOOLS AND IN TH AMOUNT OF 1 MILLION DOLLARS FOR A ENGINEERING SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY MOBILE CLASSROOM AND ROBOTICS EXPANSION. TCAT HOHENWALD IN THE AMOUNT OF 1 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE PROJECT PARTNERING TO GIVE CAREERS IN A YEAR AND TCAT SHELBYVILLE IN THE AMOUNT OF 260,641 DOLLARS FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE ALLIANCE.