West Kentucky Community and Technical College is splitting Work Ready Skills funding with regional partners.
WKCTC received the $3 million grant from the Work Ready Skills Initiative’s round of funding in the fall of 2016, where the Kentucky Workforce and Development Cabinet gave out $65 million in a statewide effort to improve workforce training. The school is distributing the funds to area career and technical centers.
Dean of Workforce Development Steve Freeman said part of the goal is to train a workforce to replace a generation approaching retirement.
“The program areas we have targeted will help provide the infrastructure to meet that need as well as to help encourage new business to locate here because of a qualified workforce. ” Freeman said.
Freeman said the money will be split in these ways between regional Career and Area Technical Centers:
Ballard County CTC - $247,220
Fulton County ATC - $405,266
Marshall County CTC - $349,974
Mayfield Graves County ATC - $403,268
Murray-Calloway County ATC - $438,002
Paducah ATC - $408,333
WKCTC will also distribute $268,786 to area high schools for online computer labs to expand dual credit and online courses for adults. The college's portion of the funding, $509,298, will go toward enhancing its transportation and advanced manufacturing courses at the Skilled Craft Training Center. The remaining $9,850 will go toward marketing.
Other institutions in the region have applied for a second round of funding this spring, including: McCracken County Public Schools, Madisonville Community College, Christian County Public Schools and Henderson Community college.