Chattanooga will host a quantum apprenticeship to boost the technology

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – The Chattanooga Quantum Collaborative announced the first pre-apprenticeship in the country.

It is a 12 week program to teach early and mid-career professionals how to adapt quantum into their companies.

They will have ten people in their first cohort.

Each will get $2,500 after completing the pre-apprenticeship.

“This is an important step in translating quantum from something people hear about into something professionals can engage with directly,” said Charlie Brock, CEO of the Chattanooga Quantum Collaborative (CQC). “Innovation often starts with people already inside organizations who are curious about what’s next. We’re activating those intrapreneurs and giving them a structured pathway to bring quantum back to their teams.”

Commercial systems are coming online, but companies are trying to find workers who can use them.

It’s the same adoption lag that the cloud computing and A-I technology has faced.

“Quantum has the potential to define Chattanooga’s economic future and partnerships are key to its success,” said Tim Kelly, Mayor of Chattanooga. “A pre-apprenticeship that’s accessible to working Chattanoogans across a variety of technical fields is another step in preparing our workforce for what’s coming.”

”At the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, we translate research into opportunity for our students, our industry partners, and our community,” said Chancellor Lori Mann Bruce. “Through the UT Chattanooga Quantum Center, we are advancing quantum research and have the national and international partnerships that align our students with the career opportunities of the quantum future. Programs like this pre-apprenticeship expand access, strengthen our workforce, and position Chattanooga to shape what comes next.”