TCAT Memphis

Career in a Year — hands-on trade training with $0 student loan debt at graduation.

The Tennessee College of Applied Technology Memphis has been training Mid-South workers for skilled careers since the Tennessee General Assembly created the statewide system in 1963. From its main campus on Alabama Avenue — plus the Aviation Extension Campus on Tchulahoma and the Bartlett Extension Campus — TCAT Memphis offers 29 hands-on programs: welding, HVAC, industrial maintenance, aviation and avionics, practical nursing, truck driving, machine tool, mechatronics, EV production, and more. The promise is simple: a career in a year. 76% of students land jobs in their field, and graduates walk out with $0 in student loan debt — because TN Promise, TN Reconnect, and the Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant can cover tuition entirely. Led by President Dr. Gwendolyn Sutton, the first woman to lead the college.

What TCAT Does

Skilled Trades

Welding, HVAC/Refrigeration, Industrial Maintenance, Machine Tool, Building Construction, Collision Repair, Diesel Powered & Heavy Equipment — the exact skills union shops hire for.

Aviation & Advanced Manufacturing

Aviation Maintenance and Avionics at the Tchulahoma campus, plus Mechatronics, Electronics, and Electric Vehicle Production Technology — trained for the Mid-South's next factories.

Healthcare Careers

Practical Nursing, Nursing Aide (CNA), Dental Assisting & Dental Lab, Pharmacy Technology, Central Sterile Processing — fast tracks into Memphis's biggest employing industry.

Tech & Design

Computer Information Technology, Computer Aided Design, Digital Graphic Design, Administrative Office Technology — modern skills without four years of debt.

Truck Driving, Culinary & Service

CDL Truck Driving, Hospitality & Culinary, Barbering, and Cosmetology — credentials that put you to work fast, including behind your own chair or your own rig.

Free Tuition Pathways

TN Promise (recent grads), TN Reconnect (adults 25+), and the Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant can make TCAT tuition-free — the college doesn't even offer student loans. $0 debt at graduation.

Leadership

Dr. Gwendolyn Sutton

President, TCAT Memphis — the first woman to lead the college

Dr. Sutton's story IS the TCAT story: she joined the college's staff in 2003, rose to Vice President in 2017, and in May 2023 the Tennessee Board of Regents named her President — the first woman to lead TCAT Memphis in its history. Twenty-plus years climbing the ladder at one institution is exactly the kind of career her college builds for Memphis workers every day. She holds a Doctor of Education in Leadership and Professional Practice from Trevecca Nazarene University, chairs the national Board of Commissioners of the Council on Occupational Education — the accreditor for workforce colleges across the country — and is leading TCAT Memphis's expansion, including a brand-new campus in Millington. She also serves on Shelby County Mayor Mickell Lowery's One Shelby transition team, working alongside Labor Education founder and Memphis CLC President Kevin Bradshaw to shape a county government that delivers for working families.

Career in a Year — The Numbers

513 students earned a certificate or diploma in the past year. 76% of completers were employed in their field of study. Student loan debt at graduation: $0.00. TCAT Memphis also runs dual enrollment with Shelby County high schools — so a Memphis teenager can graduate high school already holding trade credentials. That's what a real workforce pipeline looks like: public, proven, and paid for.

A Community Partner of Labor Education

Labor's future walks through TCAT's doors every morning. The welders, electricians' helpers, HVAC techs, industrial maintenance mechanics, aviation techs, and CDL drivers trained on Alabama Avenue are the same workers union shops across the Mid-South hire — and the same skills our Career Pathways and Job Readiness programs point young people toward. A tuition-free trade credential plus a union card is the strongest anti-poverty program Memphis has ever had. Labor Education is proud to feature TCAT Memphis as a community partner.

Connect with TCAT Memphis

Want to get involved, partner, or learn more? Reach out through their website.