Walters State Receives FANUC Robotics Certification
April 7, 2025
Walters State Certified for Robotics Training
The Walters State Division of Workforce Training has been certified by the
internationally recognized robotics company FANUC (Fuji Automatic Numerical Control).
Classes in FANUC robotics are offered as noncredit classes with the next “Intro to
Robotics” scheduled to begin April 29.
“FANUC robots are the most popular in this area for manufacturers,” said
Dr. Kim Bolton, executive director of the division and dean of the Claiborne County
Campus. “We have a lab featuring robotics equipment for training both high school
students and adult workers.”
Bolton said that she has met with many industry leaders in Walters State’s
service area, and most are either using or adding automation. Robotics can make that
process more efficient.
Bolton said the course trains students to program FANUC robots in a variety
of settings. Many of those skills may transfer to other robot systems. She said the
college will be adding other robotic systems in the future.
The equipment used in these classes was purchased with funding from a Governor’s
Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) grant. The GIVE program is administered
by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) and is designed to address skills
gaps in Tennessee's workforce by supporting the development of career pathways that
connect secondary education, postsecondary institutions and local employers.
For more information, or to request a specific training program, contact
Bolton at Kim.BoltonFREEWS or 423-851-4773.
ABOUT WALTERS STATE: Walters State Community College is a public higher education
institution established in 1970 to serve the counties of Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger,
Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Sevier and Union. The college has campus
sites in Greeneville, Morristown, Sevierville, and Tazewell as well as a center in
Newport. Walters State is one of 13 Tennessee community colleges governed by the Tennessee
Board of Regents.
ABOUT THEC: The Tennessee Higher Education Commission was created in 1967 by the Tennessee
General Assembly. The Commission develops, implements, evaluates postsecondary education
policies and programs in Tennessee while coordinating the state’s systems of higher
education, and is relentlessly focused on increasing the number of Tennesseans with
a postsecondary credential.