Nathan Garrett, President, Tennessee College of Applied Technology Nashville

In an interview with Invest:, Nathan Garrett, president of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Nashville, discussed recent milestones and the importance of partnering with private industry to benefit both companies and students. “Private industry is here every single day. We have an open door policy, and without those partnerships we would not be in the situation we’re in right now,” he said. 

Reflecting on the past year, what have been the key milestones or achievements for TCAT?

We were named the TCAT of the year at the SOAR awards in late February, and this last year we saw an 11% increase in student enrollment. From an enrollment standpoint, we’re not only growing here in Nashville but we are growing at our satellite campuses in Portland and Springfield.

In addition to that, we are in the middle of the biggest transformation the TCAT system has ever seen. Turner Construction is in the middle of building a $22 million Allied Health facility on the front side of our campus. It will be completed in November, and we should be in that building by Jan. 1, 2026. Another larger project underway at TCAT Nashville is the construction of three new buildings to house new programs, including residential and commercial electricity as well as industrial maintenance. That’s a $64 million growth project, which means a completely revitalized TCAT Nashville. 

We will be investing $45 million in a renovation and addition project at our satellite campus in Portland, Tenn. This investment will renovate 33,000 square feet of space, while also building an additional 44,000 square feet of space and adding new programs as well. 

We are also pleased to report that we will have another capital project totaling about $37.5 million to build another TCAT in Robertson County. So, we are extremely busy. It’s been a remarkable year for TCAT Nashville. 

How important are partnerships with private industry in terms of creating opportunities for students?

Our students are at the center of the “why” at this college. But, we are firm believers that industry is our main client. We focus on what industry needs, and that equals industry partnerships. They advise us on what is coming up in their industry. As a result, all the new programs we are rolling out in the new facilities are directly related to industry partnerships. For example, we have construction going on all over the place, and there is a desperate need for electricians. We are going to respond to that. Private industry partnerships are what it’s all about, and all our programs have their own partnerships. 

From a student perspective, we’ve been able to work with our institutional advisory committee and our industry partners on what we call the TCAT Nashville Trade Gear initiative. It’s designed to help students who enroll in TCAT stay enrolled in TCAT. First and foremost, students need to have equipment to be professionals in their trade, you can´t go into a welding shop without boots, without a welding mask, or without gloves.
Often, students without this essential equipment are lost. Our college sees this as an area that can be addressed through partnerships. We’re rolling out the trade gear initiative to help meet that need. This is a $500 scholarship for our students, funded and supported by industry, that helps them secure some of the essential equipment so that they feel comfortable, confident, and safe. To date, the college has raised over $200,000, serving approximately 175 students. 

Private industry is here every single day. We have an open-door policy and without those partnerships we would not be in the situation we’re in right now. 

How does TCAT ensure that its academic programs remain aligned with the evolving demands of today’s labor market, especially given how rapidly tech is evolving?

From a tactical standpoint, we lean into work, and that’s hands-on work. Most of our programs and blue-collar trade programs offer students and companies an opportunity for what we call a cooperative work agreement. This agreement is what makes the TCAT stand out. Once a student is 50% done with their program and they’ve earned the right — meaning they’ve shown up every day, they’ve added value, they’ve gotten into a position in which they can turn an ROI for a company — we send them out to work while they are still in college. They come to class on Mondays, and then they work Tuesday through Friday with a company. 

When you think about learning, we do a really good job in our classes and shops, but to be on a job site for four to eight months before they graduate is invaluable: they are connected to the employer, the employer has access to skilled human capital a bit quicker, and the students get to learn from the individuals who ultimately end up hiring them.

We also try to diversify training platforms. We need to be able to use one seat to serve many students. When we have a company or a sector that comes to us and says they have a current or upcoming workforce that needs it, we completely tailor that training curriculum straight toward that company or that sector.

We also have apprenticeships, including a large electrical apprenticeship program that we operate. We try to focus on being nimble, and on being responsive to industry needs.

How have you seen student preferences and expectations shift in recent years, and how is TCAT adapting?

The students that we get are really focused on the end goal, and the biggest change that I’ve seen is that the end goal is much more defined in their thought process. They are much more educated and have a better understanding of what a certain career field or what the skilled trades will actually provide them. That’s a positive trend that we are seeing as we have conversations with students.

What challenges and obstacles has the college faced this last year?

From an organizational standpoint, we need to have the right people to make sure the end product is what our clients are looking for. We are always struggling with human capital, with difficulties from a recruitment standpoint to get the right people on board. This has probably been our biggest struggle. Our biggest concern for the future is having access to those skilled individuals, which industries are also looking for, to lead our classes and programs. We can have all the new buildings under the sun but if you don’t have a good instructor, those buildings are nothing more than paperweights. 

Looking ahead, what are your top priorities for Tennessee College over the next two to three years, and where do you see the greatest opportunities for growth?

We are going to have capital projects and large dollars invested in TCAT Nashville, so our priority is to be good stewards of those funds and to expend those dollars in the best way possible to provide the largest ROI for industry in the state of Tennessee. Also, we are here to be an excellent college, and we need to maintain that — and classroom instruction — as a primary focus. 

All the construction going on will be disruptive for the campus and that is going to require a lot of foresight, vision, conversations, and attention. We need to have the conversation that this is awesome and excellent, but we need to remember why we are here: it’s to develop individuals into great employees for all these sectors.