Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College forms partnership to help high schoolers earn Certified Nursing Assistant credential

Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College, in partnership with TJ Regional Health and Barren County Schools, is helping to provide high school students with a nursing credential that will help them in their future careers. The initiative will see ten high schoolers in Barren County Schools complete Nurse Aide training from January to March 2026. This entry-level healthcare credential will help prepare high school juniors and seniors to get started on the pathway to a career in the healthcare field.

According to an article on Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College’s website, Barren County Schools Superintendent Amy Irwin was quoted as saying of the partnership and the effect it will have on students, "Partnerships like this are where really meaningful opportunities begin for our students. When our schools, local healthcare providers, and higher education partners like SKYCTC and WKU come together, we’re able to open doors that help students see what’s possible and start building a future right here in our community. We’re incredibly grateful to TJ Regional Health, SKYCTC, and WKU for investing in our students and believing in what they can become.”

Ten students have been selected to take part in this initiative: Haylin Adams, Rebecca Boone, Baylor Browning, Neela Furlong, Haley Mutter, Halle Nesbitt, Briley Tangen, Taylor Uhles, Sephora Velcine, and Mary Claire Warren. These students will receive CNA training from Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College faculty members after their high school classes have finished for the day. The junior and senior students who are enrolled in the WKU-Glasgow Early College program or the Biomedical Science pathway will be able to earn the state-recognized CNA credential, setting them up for success following their graduation.

Senior student Mary Claire Warren said of the opportunity, “I hope to begin working after completing the program so that I can start gaining experience that I will ultimately carry into college. This training and certification will allow me to work in multiple medical settings and will help prepare me for my future career in medicine.”

Once the students complete their training and earn the credential, TJ Regional Health, which is sponsoring the initiative, may offer employment to the students who complete the training, further opening doors for the participants. 

Speaking of the opportunities this partnership will present, Justin Browning of Barren County Schools said, “With Kentucky recognizing our ‘Workforce Participation Rate,’ as a clear growth opportunity, it is important that we engage young adults in areas that match their professional interests and strengths as early as is appropriate for them. This partnership—and others like it—along with the robust work-based learning model we’ve developed here in Barren County, helps ensure we do just that. We are incredibly thankful for our relationship with SKYCTC, TJ Regional Health, and WKU-Glasgow and for the opportunities they provide our students.”

For more information about Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College, visit the school’s website.