Workforce Development Efforts Continue as TCAT Staff Visits Van Hool Headquarters in Belgium
As Chamber members remember, on April 12, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam along with TN Department of Economic & Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe, Morristown City, Hamblen County and Chamber leaders, along with Van Hool NV officials announced that the Belgian company will establish its first U.S. manufacturing operation in Morristown and create 650 jobs over the next five years.
As part of the site selection process, representatives from Van Hool visited the TCAT Morristown campus on three separate occasions in the months leading up to the announcement. The quality of instruction in welding, painting and body, electricity and machining programs offered at the college weighed heavily in their decision to locate in Morristown.
Between May 27 and June 3, Chris Edmonds, Business & Industry Coordinator at TCAT Morristown traveled to Skopje, Macedonia and Brussels, Belgium as a part of the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development’s Workforce Development Team. These visits were coordinated to help prepare Van Hool with training assessments and curriculum development for the facility that will be located in Morristown.
The Chamber appreciates our local TCAT and Chris as they partner with us in our continuing industrial development and workforce development efforts.