Chattanooga leaders and educators are giving the public a first look at the city’s new facility for career and technical education (CTE).¶
Hamilton County and Hamilton County Schools released the first renderings of the Franklin-Roberts Future Ready Center on Wednesday, which will come to downtown Chattanooga in the 2026-27 school year.¶
The Facility’s Purpose
The center will serve as a hub for innovation, education, and workforce development, expanding hands-on learning and career pathway opportunities for students from 11 schools, according to a news release sent to the Tennessee Firefly. Its opening next year will complete Hamilton County’s network of Future Ready Centers, which were established to ensure every high school student has access to a half-day vocational education program designed to prepare graduates for success in both college and the workforce.¶
“Franklin-Roberts Future Ready Center will stand as a symbol of our commitment to education, opportunity, and innovation in Hamilton County,” Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp said. “This investment honors the legacy of Kirkman Technical School and two of our county’s foremost citizens, John P. Franklin and Dalton Roberts. Most importantly, Franklin-Roberts will ensure every student from every neighborhood in Hamilton County has access to career and technical opportunities.”¶
Hamilton County also announced plans for a small business incubator to be located within the facility, designed to meet the needs of tomorrow’s top entrepreneurs and business leaders. The facility will also include a new Entrepreneurship Pathway via the county’s partnership with Volkswagen to create industry opportunities in engineering and give students the skills they need to start their own businesses.¶
“We are incredibly excited about the opportunities the Franklin-Roberts Future Ready Center will bring to our students and the schools it will serve,” Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Dr. Justin Robertson said. “With several pathways that lead to viable, meaningful careers and the Business Incubator located on the same campus, our students will gain critical skills¶
Future Ready Centers
Hamilton County Schools opened the Harrison Bay Future Ready Center five years ago and then established the North River Future Ready Center at the beginning of this school year.¶
