TCAT McMinnville’s enrollment growth filling some programs to capacity as local employers search for skilled workers.
Student Services Coordinator Amanda Anderson said the school has recorded one of its strongest fall terms, with enrollment increasing across its technical programs.
“Actually just got an offer yesterday that a local company was needing employees that we truly cannot meet her need right now because their growth is so demanding,” Anderson said. “But we actually do work very heavily with our community partners and they are striving to get our students.”
Anderson said employers have approached TCAT looking for workers with specific skills, including welding, CNC and manual lathe training.
Enrollment has also created continuous waiting lists when programs reach TCAT’s ratio of 20 students per instructor. Co-op placements can open additional classroom capacity by moving students into workplaces where they receive college credit and earn a paycheck.
Anderson said high school dual enrollment provides another pathway into TCAT. The school works with those students before graduation to help them understand how their accumulated hours can move them toward completing a program.
“So we do try to pull them in and do that pipeline from high school to our facility for them,” Anderson said.
The high school courses also allow students to explore technical fields before deciding whether to continue their training after graduation.
TCAT McMinnville recently expanded its offerings with a new HVAC program and an additional truck-driving instructor. The school is also preparing to move into a new facility, although a firm opening date has not been established.
“It is a huge facility, it’s been building for about a year and a half,” Anderson said. “That is going to be the state of art, it’s going to be offering state of the art and new updated equipment to train our students.”
Equipment has begun moving into the new building. Anderson said TCAT has also started working on enrollment for its January term.