Cummins Inc. announced on January 4 that it will join forces with more than 10 Memphis-area education and industry partners to launch TEC: Technical Education for Communities.
TEC Memphis will be the first of its kind for the company in the United States.
“We look forward to bringing to Memphis this global community education program that has trained over 1,000 students to date,” said Mary Titsworth Chandler, CEO of the Cummins Foundation.
Currently, Cummins, which employs 55,400, has 22 TEC sites across the globe. The program was started by Cummins Inc. in 2012 when company leaders discovered a growing gap in the availability of skilled workers and the harm it was causing communities.
The US program will operate at the T-STEM Academy at East High School in Memphis. The T-STEM Academy, in partnership with the University of Memphis and various industry partners, is a magnet school providing a rigorous, college preparatory curriculum for students to help them succeed in various STEM careers.
“Through this partnership, uniting our TEC: Technical Education for Communities program with local communities here in Memphis, we are able to teach students industry-relevant technical skills that will help our communities thrive now and in the future., said Jenny Bush, Vice President – Cummins Sales and Service North America . The delivers a standardized education platform to help school partners develop market-relevant curriculum, teacher training, career guidance and the practical experience needed by students.
On Jan. 4, 2018, Cummins and its partners, which include Tri-State Truck Center, Penske Truck Leasing, TAG Truck Center, Peterbilt Truck Centers, Ozark Motor Lines, Inc., General Truck Sales and Service, Inc., FedEx Freight, MATA (Memphis Area Transit Authority) and Summit Truck Group marked the start of this initiative with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony.
“The TEC program demonstrates our commitment to provide innovative and high-quality instruction that will strengthen the Memphis community educationally and economically while establishing Memphis as a national leader in college and career preparation programs,” said Lischa T. Brooks, executive director of the academy. "We believe this program will serve as a model for how high schools and post-secondary education institutions can collaborate with industry partners to provide an amazing experience for students.”
