Pellissippi State Community College’s innovative Earn and Learn initiative, which blends classroom instruction with real-world, paid work experiences, has folded another academic program into its suite of offerings.
Students enrolled in the Civil and Construction Engineering Technology program have the opportunity to attend classes two days a week and complete the remainder of their coursework through a hands-on job with industry partners such as Messer Construction and Gresham Smith.
Hands-on experience is very important, said Fuju Wu, a project manager at Messer Construction, who has spearheaded the company’s involvement in Earn and Learn.
Wu spent a lot of time in school instead of in the field before starting her construction career, and she recalled it as overwhelming.
“All this – you won’t be able to learn it from textbooks, or without really working on the job site or working with the right company,” Wu said.
Civil and Construction Engineering Technology joins Electrical Engineering Technology, and Water Quality Technology as Pellissippi State’s available Earn and Learn initiatives. Earn and Learn will add Computer Information Technology Cyber Defense in 2026.
Read the full article from October: here.
Pellissippi State Community College is a public community college based in Knox and Blount counties in Tennessee and operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. The college operates four campuses: Hardin Valley, Blount County, Strawberry Plains, and Magnolia Avenue.
