Motlow-McMinnville recently held the groundbreaking ceremony for its Automation and Robotics Training Center Expansion. This new facility will seat students in the upcoming Electric Vehicle Technology (EVT) program that begins in the fall of 2024.
Motlow President Dr. Michael Torrence began the ceremony by introducing the guest speakers and welcoming everyone to the event. He is proud that Motlow can offer new opportunities to students and help them be a part of tomorrow’s growing workforce. Ms. Paige Mitchell of Nissan North America, Mr. Chris Desautels of Ultium Cells, Mr. Andy Schmitt of BASF Corporation, and Dr. Grant Swallows of Warren County Schools all served as guest speakers. Motlow administrators Dr. Regina Verdin, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Larry Flatt, Executive Director of Motlow’s Automation and Robotics Training Center, also spoke at the event and expressed the significance of the new expansion. Nissan, Ultium Cells, and BASF Corporation are companies in middle Tennessee that are at the helm of the Electric Vehicle Technology field. Students who complete the EVT program at Motlow will have the credentials necessary to work at those companies.
Dr. Torrence broke ground surrounded by the speakers, construction leaders, and other executives and officials in attendance. Sain Construction Company, based in Manchester, TN, has one year to complete the project designed by McLaughlin Casella Architects. Motlow expects to open the building to students in the fall term of 2024.
The 2024-2025 schoolyear will see Motlow’s first cohort of Electric Vehicle Technology students. The two-year program gives students the experience and credentials necessary to service electric vehicles, batteries, and charging stations. This credential does not require students to obtain a four-year degree, allowing them to transition directly to the workforce if they choose. Motlow College is among the first community colleges in the state to offer this program. Upon completion of this facility, the College will be the first with a facility dedicated to EV Technology.
According to Larry Flatt, “Motlow also plans to enhance their already nationally known Mechatronics AAS program by adding a concentration in Electric Vehicle Technology at the sophomore level.”
Classes available in the Electric Vehicle Technology program are Electrical Components, Steering and Suspension Systems, EV Power and Propulsion, and CAD for electronics. This pathway is ideal for tech-savvy students who want a flexible, expanding career. The goal is to equip students in middle TN to play a vital part in the trajectory of the state’s economic future.
Check out the program finder at motlow.edu/academics/programs/index to find the program that is right for you and learn about Motlow’s new student opportunities.
Pictured from left to right: Larry Flatt – Executive Director of the Automation and Robotics Training Center, Dr. Grant Swallows – Director of Warren County Schools, Paige Mitchell – Senior Manager of Manufacturing and Quality Assurance for Nissan, Dr. Michael Torrence – President of Motlow State, Andy Schmitt – Site Director of BASF Corporation, Dr. Kevin Heaslip – Director of the Center of Transportation and Professor at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Chris Desautels – Plant Director of Ultium Cells, and Dr. Regina Verdin – Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at Motlow State.
