NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The car industry is facing big changes: longtime workers are retiring, younger workers are not going into the industry, and the technology is shifting to robotics. But, a new program that launched this month in Tennessee is looking to high schools to find the next generation of car makers.

The Nissan plant in Franklin County opened in 1997, but making cars in 2024 looks a little different.

“Manufacturing isn’t what it was 20, 30 years ago,” said Matthew Overbay, Director of Manufacturing, Strategy and Planning at Nissan North America.

Overbay said that today’s assembly floor is very much based on computers and robotics.

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“Now, it’s not the individual shooting a bolt, it’s the individual maintaining a robot, making sure that it’s running properly, and being able to diagnose any of the issues that might come from the manufacturing process,” said Overbay.

Enter a whole new type of education. They are called the Centers of Excellence. These are high school programs launched for the very first time this month in four Tennessee school districts – Franklin, Grundy, Tullahoma, and Warren County.

From safety, measuring, automation, and coding, students are earning accreditations to one day work on a car assembly floor of the future while they are still in high school.

“You will go from English, math, history, whatever it might be over into this classroom where you’ll sit and it does have the tools, equipment, and instructors most importantly that will be able to support your growth in the overall advance manufacturing train,” said Overbay. “It is very laser-focused on advanced manufacturing.”

And who will be teaching these students? They were very carefully chosen current Nissan workers with years of experience building cars.

“That was a key piece of the overall Centers of Excellence, making sure that we can put our Nissan technicians into those classrooms to support the growth of those students,” said Overbay.

The hand-picked teachers spent their summer working with Eric Oslund’s education department at MTSU learning how to be teachers.

“To have an outside company as big as Nissan approach us and ask us to train their employees to be teachers was a first,” said Oslund, professor and chair of Elementary and Special Education at MTSU.

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“They absolutely chose great people, and they will be difference makers. MTSU is proud to make difference makers and I have no doubt that they will be successful,” said Oslund.

And if they are, these Centers of Excellence could be a model for training Tennessee’s workforce statewide.

It took several groups to create these Centers of Excellence – Nissan, MTSU, the Board of Regents, the high schools, and TCAT programs.

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The Tennessee Titans have one of the best wide receiver rooms in the NFL with DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd.

But there’s depth behind the top trio as well. Treylon Burks has shined as a former first-round pick, but there’s a sleeper in Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who could seize the opportunity as Hopkins is sidelined with a knee strain.

“We decided we wanted to [bring him back] because of what he’s done. I have a lot of respect for his journey. He’s had to earn it the hard way all the way through. Every year he’s played, he continues to show up and be reliable. That’s a really big part of playing receiver, it’s being where you’re supposed to be and being able to make plays. He’s a fantastic person. He’s on top of all the details and never has mental errors. He’s reliable when the ball comes his way. The more plays he makes, the more opportunities he’ll get. It’s been really nice having him in our room. He provides leadership and a veteran presence. It’s been good to have him as a compliment,” coach Brian Callahan said.

Westbrook-Ikhine, 27, had 28 catches for 370 yards and three touchdowns last season. He’s played a complementary role in the Titans offense since he went undrafted in 2020, but now that Tennessee is transitioning towards more of a pass-heavy scheme, he has more of an opportunity to showcase his stuff.

Of course, he’ll have to earn reps with a lot of competition ahead of him on the depth chart, but it’s clear that the Titans really like him and will try their best to find opportunities for him to contribute.

Westbrook-Ikhine will get a chance to have some action in tomorrow’s preseason contest against the San Francisco 49ers. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

The Tennessee Titans could be without star receiver DeAndre Hopkins to begin the season after he suffered a knee injury earlier in training camp that could reportedly keep him out for “several weeks.”

Calvin Ridley is making sure that the team has little reason for concern in the veteran’s absence.

At Wednesday’s training camp practice, Ridley gave fans a glimpse at why the Titans signed him to a four-year, $92 million deal in March. On a deep throw down the left sidelines, Ridley tip-toed along the white paint before showing off his impressive hands to make a highlight-reel catch. His teammates clearly loved it, letting out a collective celebratory scream afterwards.

Take a look:

Ridley’s NFL career was headlined by question marks after he missed the entire 2022 season due to a suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy. The Atlanta Falcons traded him to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Nov. 2022 after playing in just fives games during the 2021 campaign.

The mental toll of waiting through a year-long suspension had many wondering if Ridley would rise back to the heights he reached in 2020 when he posted career-high marks in catches (90), targets (143) and receiving yards (1,374).

He quieted any of those doubts during his first season in Jacksonville last year by finishing with 76 catches for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns. Ridley burned the Titans in both AFC South matchups, totaling 13 catches for 209 yards and three scores combined across the two games.

Clearly the Titans front office took notice of this before signing Ridley to the biggest contract of his career.

Hopkins could return Week 1 but likely won’t be 100 percent during the first part of the season. As a result, Ridley will play a vital role for Will Levis and the Titans offense, starting with season-opening at the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Sept. 8.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!