UTC, Chattanooga State Partnership Bolsters Workforce Technical Skills
UTC and Chattanooga State have formed a partnership that will dramatically increase the number of technical managers, engineering technicians and technical specialists in the local workforce.
The milestone in sustaining and recruiting high-tech industries to Chattanooga is what school leaders call "a seamless educational path" between Chattanooga State’s Engineering Technology Division and the University’s College of Engineering.
"This collaboration assures Chattanooga area employers that they will have a technology-capable workforce for years to come, whatever their emphasis—construction, software design or advanced manufacturing," said Chattanooga State President Jim Catanzaro.
Dr. Roger Brown, Chancellor of UTC, said, "Partnerships among institutions of higher education are essential to address the challenges of adapting to new economic realities. I am pleased to join with President Catanzaro to provide new opportunities for our students and their communities to succeed."
The keystone of the partnership is UTC’s new Engineering Technology Management program, which is designed specifically so that graduates of Chattanooga State’s two-year engineering technology programs can transfer directly into the bachelor’s degree program at UTC.
"This partnership will provide a direct pathway for students to pursue a bachelor's degree in Engineering Technology Management," said Dr. J. Ronald Bailey, Guerry Professor and Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at UTC.
"I believe graduates of this program will be well prepared for exciting careers in one of the most dynamic sectors of the global economy that will characterize the 21st Century."
Dr. Jim Barrott, vice president for technology at Chattanooga State, said the collaboration will improve the region’s workforce by first quickly training students at Chattanooga State with high-tech skills for immediate employment, while paving their way to additional education in higher technical specialties at UTC.
"We couldn’t be happier," said Dr. Barrott. "Our colleagues at UTC and Dr. Greg Sedrick at the New Economy Institute have made it possible for us to use education to propel Chattanooga forward as a major hub of technology-rich manufacturing." |
