Starting July 1, residents in northeast Tennessee will have an opportunity to receive educational opportunities thanks to Northeast State Community College.
The college was named by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) to coordinate adult education program for Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington county – classified as District 1.
Northeast State was awarded a $798,000 grant to oversee the project.
Debbie Tabor, who currently oversees the Sullivan County Adult Education program, has been tabbed to lead the program for the college. Tabor provides 40 years worth of educational experience, including 16 years with the Kingsport City School System, and is ready to hit the ground running.
According to Tabor, the program will help adults complete a high school education and transition that to postsecondary education and training to pursue employment.
“It’s a very important step for people from the county,” Tabor said. “For each of the counties in our district. I’m very excited about it, you could see my face now… every time it gets brought up into a conversation, my eyes light up.”
“It’s an incredible opportunity offered by Northeast State to allow people to get their high school equivalency and continue that receive a chance at getting a higher education through school, like Northeast,” she added.
According to information provided by Northeast State, District 1 has a population of more than 40,000 people who might benefit from adult education services. NESCC is using a plan developed from the current program providers, Tabor said, to assist adults who are deficient in basic skills and those who lack their high school diploma or equivalency.
Tabor said that satellite sites would be split throughout the district, with Carter and Johnson counties combining in one classroom. The base of the program will be organized from the Northeast State building of Washington County located in Gray.
“Grant funding will go into effect July 1,” Tabor said. “We will offer classes to each county.”
The state of Tennessee has 40 adult education service delivery areas, each with a separate entity over the program in its respective part of the state.
On July 1, 2016 TDLWD will restructure those service delivery areas into eight districts. During fiscal year 2015-2016 the state of Tennessee paid $3.15 million in administrative costs associated with the adult education program.
The realignment to eight districts will reduce those administrative costs by $2.1 million in fiscal year 2016-2017.
“We will take that $2 million and invest into Tennessee’s adult learners,” said TDLWD Commissioner Burns Phillips. “I am confident this restructure will greatly improve Tennessee’s adult education program and help thousands of Tennesseans find better jobs.”
Tabor added that the interest for the program has peaked since the announcement. The new director was in the process of interviewing teachers Thursday.
For more information on the program or to enroll, contact the school at adulted@northeaststate.edu or call 423-378-4301.