Tennessee Board of Regents makes visit to campus

Published 04.08.2024

Photos by Jennifer A. Cline, writer/magazine editor

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Luke J. Davies (in plaid), instructor of CNC machining and automation, discusses the capabilities of the Bihler 4 Slide-NC metal stamping and forming center and the overall instruction provided to students in the Gene Haas Center for Innovative Manufacturing. From left are Jeff Sisk, executive director, Center for Workforce Development for the Tennessee Board of Regents; Davies; and the Tennessee contingent’s Zachary Adams, assistant vice chancellor, academic affairs and workforce development, and Matthew Gann, associate vice chancellor, marketing, digital strategy and public relations.

Representatives of the Tennessee Board of Regents, a partner with Penn College in providing apprenticeships, toured several advanced manufacturing labs during a visit to the college on Monday.

The Tennessee Board of Regents is a system of 37 community and technical colleges; it is the largest system of higher education in Tennessee.

The board is a partner in the U.S. Department of Labor Scaling Apprenticeship grant, known as MIDAS and administered by Workforce Development at Penn College. Collaboratively, the Tennessee board and Penn College deliver apprenticeship-related technical instruction across the U.S. for the advanced manufacturing sector.

“The visit is an opportunity to discuss the progress of the MIDAS grant, which concludes in July 2024,” explained Shannon M. Munro, Penn College’s vice president for workforce development. “It is also an opportunity to share best practices in developing and executing apprenticeship programs. We anticipate this successful partnership will flourish beyond the life of the grant.”

The visitors from the Tennessee Board of Regents included Jeff Sisk, executive director, Center for Workforce Development; Matthew Gann, associate vice chancellor, marketing, digital strategy and public relations; and Zachary Adams, assistant vice chancellor, academic affairs and workforce development.