(NASHVILLE) — State Representative Ryan Williams (R–Cookeville) announced today that the State Building Commission has officially approved a project at Tennessee Tech University to construct a new complex that will include a poultry unit and a multipurpose facility for production and processing poultry.
The grant funding for the new Tennessee Center for Poultry Science comes as part of the Drive to 55 Capacity Fund — an initiative designed to support colleges and universities as enrollment increases due to the implementation of the Tennessee Promise. The Tennessee Promise is the nation’s first scholarship and mentorship program that provides high school graduates last-dollar scholarships to attend two years of community or technical college free of tuition and fees.
Because of the Tennessee Promise, first-time freshmen enrollment at Tennessee’s colleges and universities grew by 10 percent in 2015, including a 25 percent increase at community colleges and a 20 percent increase at Tennessee technical schools. Tennessee has also seen a historic year-over-year growth in the state’s college-going rate since 2015, increasing 4.6 percentage points in just one year.
“As we work to expand access to education through the Drive to 55, we must also make sure our colleges and universities have the tools and resources needed to prepare students for the 21st century job market,” said Representative Williams. “This new facility at Tennessee Tech will allow for new on-site classes and training that will add to our current facilities to help ensure our students have the skills needed to find good, high paying jobs upon graduation.”
The project approval for the Tennessee Center for Poultry Science was granted through the State Building Commission, which oversees construction of all public state buildings. In recent years, the Commission’s responsibility has been expanded to include authority over most improvement and demolition projects of property owned by the state.
Ryan Williams serves as Chairman of the House Republican Caucus. He also serves as a member of the House Finance, Ways & Means Committee and Subcommittee, as well as the House Government Operations, House Health, and the House Calendar & Rules Committees. Williams lives in Cookeville and represents House District 42, which includes a portion of Putnam County. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by calling (615) 741-1875.
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