Hazard Community and Technical College receives grant, plans major renovation of technical campus

A $3.8 million grant awarded by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to Hazard Community and Technical College will be utilized to transform HCTC's Technical Campus, revamping the center which was originally built in the 1960s. Plans include structural improvements along with an interior remodel to create learning spaces for multiple departments and programs. Administrators and local officials are hopeful that the changes will have a wide impact on the community by paving a path out of poverty.

The EDA, a federal level agency, awarded the grant as part of an effort to improve the regional economy by creating educational opportunities for residents that are in line with the jobs that local companies need to fill. Technical training is a big part of that equation as certain industries, coal mining for example, are becoming obsolete and can no longer be relied upon to create enough jobs to sustain a community. Officials from EDA hope that grants like this one can reinvigorate local economies and provide practical opportunities for high school grads and alternatives to four-year colleges. As explained in a recent interview with the Lexington Herald Leader, kentucky State Senator Brandon Smith expressed his confidence in the impact expected from the grant, "That money is going to be well-spent and change the course of a lot of children that come up this hill, will come into this building and come out with a new vocation that will provide for them and their families for generations to come. For us, embedded poverty is something that we find all across Appalachia. There is no better tool in our toolbox to break the aspect of embedded poverty than education."

The reimagined technical campus will be home to learning environments for HVAC, machine tooling, housing construction, and cosmetology, among other programs. The 55,000 square foot industrial education building will be home to the newly-created Center of Excellence in Construction and Advanced Manufacturing. By redesigning the space, school administrators aim to better and more efficiently serve the students of HCTC. As stated by HCTC President Dr. Jennifer Lindon in a recent press release, "We are creating synergy by moving programs that can share space." Lindon also said, "Now we can modernize the facilities and provide them with the resources so the programs can operate well in teaching our students.