Jackson, Tenn– Jackson State Community College will receive some $175,000 to purchase cutting-edge equipment and create a unique robotics training center for manufacturing students and workers at companies in West Tennessee. Jackson State has a branch campus in Paris, located in the Central Services Building at 55 Jones Bend Rd.
The funding allows Jackson State to become a certified trainer for FANUC robots – the primary brand used by manufacturers throughout the region. The community college will add three vision-equipped robots to its industrial technology program and become the only certified trainer in the Mid-South. The nearest program is in North Carolina.
The training center will allow manufacturers in west Tennessee to enhance their competitiveness and provide opportunities for current workers to increase their skills and qualify for higher-paying jobs. It will also help recruit a major manufacturer for the Memphis Regional Megasite in Haywood County, as it differentiates the region from other competitive sites.
The project is a partnership with the Southwest Tennessee Development District, which serves an eight-county region and will administer a $200,000 grant from the Delta Regional Authority. The authority is a federal-state venture that works to create jobs, build communities, and improve lives through strategic investments in economic development. The regional authority recently announced $2.9 million in funding for nine projects in Tennessee.
Jackson State has one certified FANUC trainer and plans to add another. The robots will be procured in the coming months, and the robotics training program will be added next year. Classes will be offered during the day as well as the evening to accommodate students and people with full-time jobs.
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