• Education/Training

    No matter what age or ambition, award-winning educational opportunities are limitless and highly regarded in Oak Ridge.

     Oak Ridge Schools - "Every student prepared for college, career, and life success"

    The Oak Ridge Schools were born in the shadow of the Manhattan Project in 1943. Like the project that brought together the nation’s greatest minds for a common goal, the school system set the bar high for educational excellence from the beginning. Oak Ridge School District is the first school district in Tennessee to be entirely AdvancED STEM certified, K-12. STEM in Oak Ridge is not isolated to the traditional STEM content areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, but rather emphasizes skills of collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity in every classroom. Over 80% of our passionate, award-winning teachers hold master’s degrees. Oak Ridge Schools offer a challenging STEM curriculum with a deliberate focus on collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity to ensure success for every student.

     

    Higher Education

    In addition to the flagship campus of The University of Tennessee, the region is home to eight four-year liberal arts colleges, three two-year and community colleges, and several technology training centers. 

       

    The University of Tennessee

    Main campus in Knoxville is the oldest and largest university in Tennessee

    More than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students

    10 colleges and schools with major research programs across 12 different disciplines of engineering 

    Nationally ranked programs in accounting, business administration, logistics, nuclear engineering and education.

    The University of Tennessee partners with Battelle to manage the Oak Ridge National LaboratoryThe University of Tennessee Oak Ridge Innovation Institute was recently formed with the purpose of building the technology talent pipeline for America.

       
    Roane State Community College's largest campus is located in Oak Ridge.  The college enrolls 5,000+ students over several different campuses.  Roane State offers 13 different areas of studiesthe majority of which will transfer to a 4-year college via the Tennessee Transfer Pathway.  Roane State offers a well-regarded Computer Science program that includes Cyber Defense. Roane State also partners with local employers to develop custom training programs.
       
    Pellissippi State Community College is located a stone’s throw from Oak Ridge.  Pellissippi State offers a broad array of career certification programs, AA degree programs as well as university parallel enrollment. The college enrolls over 10,000 students across 5 campuses. Pellissippi State also offers custom training programs to local employers.
       

    Tennessee College of Applied Technology Centers The Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology serve as the premier suppliers of workforce development throughout the State of Tennessee. There are several different TCAT locations in the region offering 20 different programs. The Colleges fulfill their mission by:

    • Providing competency-based training through superior quality, traditional and distance learning instruction methods that qualify completers for employment and job advancement;
    • Contributing to the economic and community development of the communities served by training and retraining employed workers;
    • Ensuring that programs and services are economical and accessible to all residents of Tennessee; and
    • Building relationships of trust with community, business, and industry leaders to supply highly skilled workers in areas of need.

    In coordination with the TN Department of Education and in alignment with Gov. Bill Lee's Future Workforce Initiative, the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network is pleased to introduce Elevate TN a career exploration and advising platform. This platform is free for all TN educators and students grades 8-12. 

    This platform provides a place for businesses to connect with schools and their future workforce.  By completing a profile, businesses can specify what types of skills and worker they are looking for and if they are willing to partner with schools. Students that are 16 years or older can also apply for internships or employment opportunities with participating companies.