AT&T announced a $5,000 contribution to the Cleveland State Community College to support non-traditional, underserved students preparing for high-skill jobs requiring technology-based skills in Tennessee community colleges. The donation will fund scholarships to help students begin a path toward completing their college degrees. The contribution was presented on Tuesday at Cleveland State Community College.
“The programs supported by this contribution will help provide our students the skills required to compete in today’s technology based economy,” said Dr. Bill Seymour, President, Cleveland State Community College. “Creating and maintaining a workforce that is ready to meet the needs of our region is vitally important and through donations like today’s we will be able to reach even more Tennesseans.”
This donation is part of AT&T’s $65,000 gift to the Tennessee Board of Regents. Each of the state’s 13 community colleges will receive $5,000 to award scholarships to encourage students to participate in programs designed to help students succeed in the classroom and be better prepared to enter the workforce. The programs will target non-traditional and underserved students.
"As Tennessee’s economy continues to grow we must focus on workforce readiness to ensure employers have the skilled workers they need to flourish," said Sen. Mike Bell. "And community colleges like Cleveland State are instrumental in preparing our workforce to meet the needs of an ever changing 21st century economy.”
“Increasing opportunity and access to post-secondary education helps create a pathway to prosperity for those looking to enter today’s competitive job market and today’s announcement expands that opportunity for more students,” said Rep. John Forgety.
In January 2010, the Tennessee legislature approved an aggressive set of steps to increase the completion rates of students within the institutions of higher education in the state.
“We are delighted to support Tennessee students who are acquiring the skills they need to enter the workforce,” said Alan Hill, Regional Director of External and Legislative Affairs, AT&T Tennessee. “Accelerated certificate and degree programs are a great way to ensure our students are fully prepared to enter the workforce and that they can find good jobs right here in Tennessee when they graduate.”
The Tennessee Board of Regents’ Office of Academic Affairs developed a curriculum for accelerated pathways for college completion. The goal is to increase completion rates at the TBR community colleges. TBR created programs of study that encourage and allow students with work and family obligations to enroll on a full-time basis, devoting 20 to 30 hours a week, including online education. Students now have the option to complete required coursework for an Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees within three semesters.
Students in these new programs would benefit from scholarships that would enable them to participate fully in the four to five-hour morning, evening or weekend blocks of time required to complete an accelerated certificate or degree program. The proposed AT&T Completion Scholarship program ($5,000 to each of the 13 Tennessee Board of Regents’ community colleges) would allow the institutions to award financial support to students enrolled in these programs and increase completion and entry into the workforce in Tennessee.
13 Tennessee Board of Regents’ community colleges include:
Chattanooga State Community College – Chattanooga, TN
Cleveland State Community College – Cleveland, TN
Columbia State Community College – Columbia, TN
Dyersburg State Community College – Dyersburg, TN
Jackson State Community College – Jackson, TN
Motlow State Community College – Lynchburg, TN
Nashville State Community College – Nashville, TN
Northeast State Community College – Blountville, TN
Pellissippi State Community College – Knoxville, TN
Roane State Community College – Harriman, TN
Southwest Tennessee Community College – Memphis, TN
Volunteer State Community College – Gallatin, TN
Walters State Community College – Morristown, TN