The Tennessee Technology Center at Elizabethton is observing its 40th anniversary this year. The workforce development training facility began its operation in October 1965 as the State Area Vocational-Technical School. The first class was in Automobile Mechanics.
TTC-Elizabethton awards diplomas to students who complete 12-18 month training programs in Automotive Technology, Business Systems Technology, Computer Operations Technology, Diesel Powered Equipment; Electricity/Electronics, HVAC/Refrigeration, Millwright Skills, Practical Nursing and Welding. Classes in Business Systems Technology and Practical Nursing are also offered by TTC-Elizabethton in Mountain City and Kingsport, respectively.
Online programs in Dietary Manager Training, which prepares students for the national credentialing exam, and Practical Nurse Refresher, which leads to licensure reinstatement by the State Board of Nursing, are also offered.
A record 360 students enrolled in the 2004 fall term, sparked by the Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant of the Tennessee Lottery Education Scholarship. The grant pays $1,250 to full-time students attending the technology center. The cost of registration and tuition is $1,752 to attend the technology center for the 12-month school year.
In 2004, TTC-Elizabethton received the Exceptional Training Provider Award for having the highest job placement rate (73.77 percent) among 152 public and private post secondary Workforce Investment Act training facilities in Tennessee. TTC-Elizabethton was also recognized for having the highest benefit-to-cost ratio among 26 technology centers in Tennessee.
TTC-Elizabethton had a total economic impact of $11.3 million on the Northeast Tennessee region, generating $5.76 return on every taxpayer dollar invested in the training facility, according to an economic impact study conducted by Tennessee State University College of Business.
Governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents, TTC-Elizabethton is the premiere workforce development training provider for Carter, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties.
Since 1965, the facility has trained thousands of graduates for gainful employment. Jerry Patton, director of the technology center, said he places heavy emphasis on job placement. "The work of faculty and staff is not done until our graduates are employed in their major field of study," Patton said.
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