PADUCAH, KY (WKCTC) – Educators in western Kentucky called a $3.04 million Work Ready Skills Initiative Grant a “game changer” for the citizen of western Kentucky during a ceremonial agreement signing at West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) Monday, October 16.
Fulton County Schools Superintendent Aaron Collins said the funds provided by the grant will allow computer labs to be added at every high school in WKCTC’s 10-county service area as well as will provide new equipment for area technology centers and career & technical centers.
In 2016, Governor Matt Bevin launched a statewide “Work Ready Skills Initiative” (KWRSI) funded through $100 million in statewide bonds and overseen by the Kentucky Cabinet for Workforce and Education. Funds were awarded to 40 applicants to improve the skill level of the Kentucky workforce in five designated industry sectors – advanced manufacturing, business and information technology, construction technology, health sciences, and transportation. Locally driven projects were awarded during two rounds of competition in 2016 and 2017 and include all regions of Kentucky. The goal of the initiative was to provide resources to expand career and technical education facilities and upgrade equipment in those schools through local partnerships between private industry and educational institutions.
WKCTC was awarded a $3.04 million Work Ready Skills Initiative grant to distribute to area technology centers and career & technical centers in five counties as well as 11 area high schools in WKCTC’s 10-county service region. The partners, all members of West Kentucky Work Ready Skills Consortium (WKWRSIC), are WKCTC, the Ballard County School District, Calloway County School District, Carlisle County School District, Fulton County School District, Fulton Independent School District, Graves County School District, Hickman County School District, Marshall County School District, Mayfield Independent School District, McCracken County School District, Murray Independent School District, and Paducah Independent School District. The consortium also included additional members such as West Kentucky Workforce Board, Murray State University, University of Kentucky College of Engineering at Paducah, Adult Educational-Skills You across the region, Kentucky Farm Workers, regional HeadStart programs, and numerous other agencies.