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Pictured with the new Bobcat equipment delivered to Union County High School on Friday are, from left: Bobcat Knoxville sales representative Isaac Collins, UCHS CTE instructor John Fugate, UCHS students Caleb Goins, Jackson Holt, Josh Bailey, and Weston Beeler, Union County Director of Schools Greg Clay, TCAT Oneida/Huntsville campus coordinator Tom Payne, TCAT O/H Dual-Enrollment Coordinator Kristi Cornelius, TCAT O/H Vice President Tim Smith, and TCAT O/H Earthmoving Instructor Ronnie Muncy. Caleb, Jackson, Josh, and Weston are the first students enrolled in UCHS’s new program and will be dual-enrolled with TCAT O/H. Not pictured is Union County CTE Director Bryan Shoffner, who was unable to attend Friday.
MAYNARDVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee College of Applied Technology Oneida/Huntsville is expanding opportunities for students in East Tennessee through a new dual enrollment partnership with Union County High School’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) program.
Beginning this fall, Union County High School students will have the opportunity to dual enroll in TCAT Oneida/Huntsville’s Earthmoving Equipment Operator program, allowing them to begin specialized workforce training while still in high school.
The partnership was developed after Union County High School purchased brand-new earthmoving equipment, including a Bobcat excavator and a Bobcat skid steer loader, to begin offering an earthmoving class to their students. The equipment, which was delivered to the school Friday by Bobcat of Knoxville, was purchased using Innovative School Model (ISM) grant funding, which is administered by the Tennessee Department of Education to strengthen CTE programs in public schools across the state.
Teaching Union County High School’s Earthmoving program will be John Fugate. The dual-enrollment partnership with TCAT was orchestrated by Union County High School CTE Director Bryan Shoffner, who reached out to TCAT about the possibility of a partnership after the high school made the decision to purchase earthmoving equipment.
Union County is not in TCAT Oneida/Huntsville’s regular service area; in fact, a TCAT Knoxville extension campus opened on the campus of Union County High School in December, providing dual enrollment opportunities for students in several programs. However, TCAT Oneida/Huntsville is the only TCAT in East Tennessee — and one of only two in the state — to offer the Earthmoving Equipment Operator program.
“Programs like this help remove barriers for students who are interested in skilled trades careers,” said TCAT Oneida/Huntsville Vice President Tim Smith. “Union County students now have access to specialized training that simply is not available closer to home, and that opens doors to high-demand career opportunities across the region.
TCAT added the six-month, 648-clock-hour program in September 2025, using Give grant funding to purchase various equipment that includes a dozer, excavator, skid steer loader, and dump truck. The first students graduated the program in February 2026.
The Earthmoving Equipment Operator program provides hands-on training in the operation, maintenance, and safety procedures associated with heavy equipment commonly used in construction, excavation, and site development. Students gain experience operating equipment such as bulldozers, excavators, loaders, and backhoes while learning industry safety standards and jobsite practices.
Through the dual enrollment program, eligible high school students can earn postsecondary credit while completing high school coursework. The partnership also helps students explore career pathways and transition more quickly into the workforce or continued technical education after graduation.
The Earthmoving program in Union County is one of several new dual enrollment offerings being added by TCAT Oneida/Huntsville for high school students in the 2026-2027 school year. Others include Culinary Arts at Scott High School, and Criminal Justice: Correctional Officer, Diesel-Powered Equipment Technology, Industrial Maintenance, and Nursing Aide at York Institute in Jamestown.