State officials joined Nissan executives to formally open the Tennessee College of Applied Technology at Murfreesboro's Smyrna Campus and Nissan Training Center, Nissan USA announced.

The state-of-the-art campus offers high-quality programs to prepare Tennessee students and Nissan employees for careers in advanced manufacturing and other fields.

The 162,000-square-foot center is a public-private partnership between Nissan and the Tennessee Board of Regents to create educational opportunities that are closely aligned to current workforce needs. It operates as an extension of TCAT-Murfreesboro and is jointly occupied by Nissan and the College of Applied Technology.

A nearby Nissan plant builds engines for Nissan's Titan series pickups and various automobiles. 

"This is a true partnership between the State of Tennessee and Nissan," said Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam. "Our College of Applied Technology at Murfreesboro needed more space and equipment to serve Tennesseans who want to learn skills for a new or improved career. Nissan needed a new center to train its own employees and those of its suppliers.

“The new Smyrna facility, which is both a public TCAT open to all and a Nissan Training Center was a perfect solution and is an important milestone in our Drive to 55 – to equip at least 55% of Tennesseans with a college degree or certificate by 2025."