October 22, 2025
By MEALAND RAGLAND-HUDGINS
Rutherford County Schools
Rutherford County Schools cut the ribbon on a fleet of Career and Technical Education Mobile Learning Labs, the first of their kind in Tennessee.
Housed inside three 48-foot semi-trailers, the labs are equipped with the latest in technology used in classrooms and industry settings.
With an overall cost of $2.6 million, the mobile labs were funded by Innovative School Models grants from the state of Tennessee. Such grants help align learning opportunities for middle and high school students with various experiences to enhance college and career awareness and readiness and while reducing barriers between K-12 and postsecondary education and the workforce.
Designed with the county’s most in-demand careers in mind, labs will travel to middle schools throughout the district to provide a snapshot of some of the 16 Career & Technical Education pathways Rutherford County Schools offers at the high school level.
Rutherford County Schools Director Dr. Jimmy Sullivan said historically, program availability has been based on school zones, but that is no longer the case.
“This allows all middle school students to be exposed to the same opportunities. Instead of it being determined based by school, we can now take the opportunities to our students,” Sullivan said.
Dr. Tyra Pilgrim, the district’s Career & Technical Education director, thanked Gov. Bill Lee for the grant funding of $500,000 for each of the district’s 14 middle schools.
“It allowed us to think big and creatively,” Pilgrim said. “For many students, this will be the first time they see how their interest becomes a career.”
A ceremony and first look was held Wednesday at Lane Agri-Park with the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce. Elected officials and members of the business community were in attendance.
Labs are set up as follows:
- Healthcare and STEM: Patient care manikins and various virtual health care settings
- Advanced Manufacturing and Career Exploration: 3-D printers, robotics, welding and forklift simulators
- Transportation and Construction: Simulators for heavy equipment, aviation, long-haul trucking, electric vehicle repair, plumbing and virtual paint booths
Each lab is equipped with a wheelchair lift for ADA compliance. ATC Trailers and Technical Training Aids completed the buildout.
Thank you to Blackman High School Culinary Program for providing refreshments and Riverdale High School's Warrior Media for supplying all production needs for the event.