Workforce & Education
People who believe in what they do.
With excellent high school graduation and college-going rates, and a highly acclaimed preK-12 school system, Wayne County places a heavy emphasis on education. Wayne County's higher education institutions—Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) and Columbia State Community College (CSCC)—are very involved in developing custom training for area businesses. Two regional TCATs provide programs that support local industry such as welding, machine tool technology, drafting and CAD technology.
Through grassroot efforts and regional partnerships, Wayne County developed new educational institutions to meet the growing demand from our youth and local industries. The Waynesboro Industrial Service Center-TCAT Hohenwald satellite in Waynesboro (2020) offers Industrial Maintenance programming, the Bevis Education Center in Collinwood (2021) offers General Studies and Nursing programs, and the Forestry Extended Learning Facility inside the Wayne County Integrated Agricultural-Industrial Park (2022) hosts TCAT's Sustainable Forestry and Heavy Equipment Operation skills training.
Wayne County is home to large companies with a combined workforce of more than 6,300 workers in a right-to-work state with low taxes. Tennessee's innovative workforce partnerships and education reform are developing qualified candidates for skills in high demand. Tennessee is leading the way in education reform by increasing the number of Tennesseans with college degrees or certifications through the Tennessee Promise and TN Reconnect. As the only state in the country with these initiatives, Tennessee promises employers the support of highly-skilled workers.
95.8%
of Wayne County Students Graduate High School
93%
of Local TCAT Students Complete Their Programs of Study
6,300+
Wayne Countians in the Labor Force
Schools & Education
Our trained workforce starts with our highly ranked schools, where 95.8% of our high school students graduate.
The area easily accesses multiple postsecondary options including Columbia State Community College (CSCC), Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs), Southern Tennessee Higher Education Center, UT Southern-Pulaski, and the University of North Alabama (UNA).
