Career Catalyst Cohorts

Career Catalyst Cohorts are short-term, industry-focused training programs that lead to recognized certifications and higher-wage employment. TCASN brings together community-based organizations (CBOs), employers, higher education institutions, and other training providers to design cohorts in direct response to what community members actually want and need.

How It Works: We survey CBO/Business clients to find out what types of training would most help them advance to higher-wage jobs. We then partner with CBOs and businesses to design and deliver cohort-based training — cost-free for participants — in fields ranging from information technology to healthcare and beyond.

2025-2026 Career Catalyst Cohorts

Office Administrative Technology: Crossing two direct-service nonprofits - The Branch of Nashville and UpRise Nashville - the Office Administrative Technology CCC provides in-depth training and certification in Office Administration to 17 participants. Seven participants graduated from UpRise’s program on April 28, 2026. The Branch’s cohort will graduate on June 1, 2026. Graduates will qualify for careers in foundational roles like administrative assistant, receptionist, office clerk, or data entry specialist.

Information Technology: In partnership with TCAT Nashville, The Branch of Nashville, and Nashville State Community College Southeast, TCASN offered a CompTIA Core 1 certification to eleven students in South Nashville who participate in programs/services offered by The Branch. Classes were hosted at The Branch and at NSCC Southeast campus. Among class participants four languages were spoken. All eleven students who started the 11-week program graduated in April 2025, boasting a 100% completion rate! Upon certification, the graduates qualify for careers as help desk technicians, IT support specialists, and field service technicians. They also qualify for roles in desktop support and server support.

Registered Behavioral Technician: In June 2025, five adult learners completed an eight-week, intensive training course designed to prepare them for careers in behavior support roles, specializing in autism therapy settings. The graduates balanced many responsibilities while completing the course, including being the sole care providers for their children and grandchildren and balancing multiple jobs. The course was supported by TCASN, TCAT Nashville, Belmont Fast Forward, The Store, Belmont Family Wellbeing Program, and Lighthouse Kids Centers. Upon passing the national RBT certification exam, graduates can connect to local job opportunities in behavior support and autism services.

CMA to LPN pathway: In May 2025, TCASN partnered with UpRise Nashville and TCAT Nashville to provide support to six former UpRise leaders who wanted to upskill from being certified medical assistants and patient care technicians to licensed practical nurses. Two prerequisite classes are required for registered CMAs to enter LPN programs - Dosage Calculations and Anatomy and Physiology. Because CMAs need to take these two prerequisites outside of a degree-seeking program, they do not qualify for financial aid. The program covered all tuition and supply costs for these students, as well as tutoring support, so they could pursue LPN certification in the near future. The leaders completed their prerequisite coursework in August 2025 and are currently enrolled in TCAT Nashville’s LPN program.

2023 Inaugural Class

Engaging TCAT Nashville and Catholic Charities at McGruder Family Resource Center, Career Catalyst Cohorts' inaugural certification class launched in 2023 - Building Trades/General Construction. Career Catalyst Cohorts partners noted this course option would appeal to students.

A bilingual (Spanish/English) instructor was hired to best serve the student population. In true collective impact form, as the main project of their course, the students built a storage shed for Catholic Charities - saving the organization $5,000+.