BY LEON HUMPHREY
CARTER COUNTY MAYOR
We are truly blessed in Carter County to have not only one of the most beautiful places to live, play and work in the world but to also have all of the wonderful educational opportunities available to our citizens in Carter County and the region. One of our many crown jewels is the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Elizabethton. TCAT is “The Leader in Technical Education and Industry Training, making higher education accessible to more Tennesseans.”
The Tennessee College of Applied Technology is the premier workforce development training provider for Northeast Tennessee, serving students and employers in Carter, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties.
One of 27 Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology serving 5.8 million residents of the state of Tennessee, TCAT Elizabethton is governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents and accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education.
Established in 1963 by legislation enacted by the Tennessee General Assembly, the State Area Vocational Technical School at Elizabethton opened October 1, 1965 at the Herman Robinson campus, 1500 Arney St., Elizabethton, with its first class in Automotive Mechanics. In 1994, the statewide system of schools was renamed Tennessee Technology Centers and, in 2013, Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology.
In 1998, TCAT Elizabethton occupied its first building expansion at 426 Highway 91 North in the Watauga Industrial Park. In October of 1999, the school opened an instructional site in Mountain City, offering Administrative Office Technology, and later in Kingsport, offering classes in Practical Nursing.
In 2014, all training programs at TCAT Elizabethton were moved to the Main Campus in Elizabethton when a $16 million consolidated campus construction project was completed. Construction of three new buildings and renovation of a fourth building began in August of 2012. The consolidated campus provides 95,000 square feet of training space. It replaced the 30,000 square foot training facility located at the Herman Robinson Campus.
TCAT’s many programs include:
• Administrative Office Technology
• Automotive Technology
• Certified Nursing Aide
• Computer Information Technology
• Diesel Powered Equipment Technology
• Dietary Manager
• Electricity/Electronics
• Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning/Refrigeration
• Machine Tool Technology
• Millwright/Industrial Maintenance
• Online Programs
• Phlebotomy
• Pipefitting and Plumbing
• Practical Nursing
• Tech Foundations
• Welding
TCAT Elizabethton invites you to tour the campus, speak with their faculty, staff and students, and learn about the training programs available to you and members of your family. Some of their graduates are third and fourth generations of the same family who received the training necessary to provide a livelihood for them and their family. For more information about the TCAT, please see their website at https://tcatelizabethton.edu/ or call them at 423-543-0700 or stop by and see them at their Main Campus at 426 Highway 91 North, Elizabethton, TN 37643.
We are truly blessed in Carter County to have a TCAT in our county. Please feel free to contact me at mayor@cartercountytn.gov or by phone at 423-542-1801 if you have any questions or if I can be of assistance to you. My office is located at 801 East Elk Avenue, Suite 201, located in the County Courthouse in Elizabethton. I have an open-door policy and everyone is always welcome.