Pellissippi State President L. Anthony Wise Jr., center, accepts donations for the new Ruth and Steve West Workforce Development Center from Clayton Director of Philanthropy Susan Brown, left, and Clayton Foundation Managing Director Michell Clayton, right, on Aug. 7 at Clayton's home office in Maryville; image submitted

Two longtime supporters of Pellissippi State Community College have continued their philanthropy with generous donations to construct the Ruth and Steve West Workforce Development Center on the college's Blount County Campus.

Clayton, headquartered in Maryville, and the Clayton Foundation each have pledged $250,000 to the project for a total commitment of $500,000.

Clayton Foundation Managing Director Michell Clayton and Clayton Director of Philanthropy Susan Brown presented Pellissippi State President L. Anthony Wise Jr. with the donation commitments Wednesday at Clayton's home office in Maryville.

"These gifts are a continuation of a long partnership with Clayton and the Clayton Foundation to educate Blount County students and prepare them to enter the local workforce with the skills they need to create a bright future for themselves and their families, right here in Blount County," Wise said.

The Clayton donations to The Campaign for Pellissippi State will help build the new workforce development center, a $16.5 million project that Denark Construction expects to break ground on this winter. The 53,000-square-foot building that is being designed by BarberMcMurry Architects will be used by Pellissippi State and Tennessee College of Applied Technology Knoxville to help fill the area's need for highly skilled, college-educated employees.

Pellissippi State's part of the new building is expected to house a Smart Factory MegaLab featuring Industry 4.0 curriculum and offer classes in Computer Information Technology, Culinary Arts, Electrical Engineering Technology and Mechanical Engineering Technology. Meanwhile, TCAT's part of the new building is expected to include classes in Industrial Electrical Maintenance and Welding, Machine Tool Technology and Pipe Fitting.

"The workforce development center represents a unique, integrated approach to workforce development with a K-12 partnership, offering duel enrollment classes for high school students, focusing on high-demand career skills; a TCAT partnership, which will give that college its first footprint in Blount County; and industry partnerships developed to meet local demands, including a new corporate training center that will give local companies extra space and opportunity to train their employees at Pellissippi State," Wise added. "This effort supports great jobs and successful careers for our children and grandchildren right here at home in Blount County."

The Clayton Foundation, which works to make a difference in the lives of families, organizations and communities, has supported Pellissippi State since 1990. Its first major gift to Pellissippi State was $800,000 in 2008 to support the college's Blount County Campus and its Clayton Performing Arts Center on its Hardin Valley Campus in Knoxville.

Clayton, whose mission is to help hardworking families achieve the dream of home ownership, has supported Pellissippi State since 2003. The company's first major gift to the college was $200,000, pledged in 2008 to support the Blount County Campus.

"This workforce development center will provide so many opportunities for students to grow and prosper with training for the modern trade environment," Brown said. "We are thrilled to join with the East Tennessee business community in support of Pellissippi State's efforts to meet such an important need."

Pellissippi State expects to open the Ruth and Steve West Workforce Development Center to students in fall 2021. For more information on the building or to make a donation in support of the project, visit www.pstcc.edu/campaignforpellissippistate/workforce.

For more information on Pellissippi State, visit www.pstcc.edu or call 865-694-6400.