Big Sandy Community and Technical College receives TRAINS funding to expand access to paramedic training

Big Sandy Community and Technical College has received funding from the Kentucky Community and Technical College System's (KCTCS) TRAINS initiative to improve access to paramedic training and help address the state’s workforce shortage. The TRAINS funding worked together with partnerships with Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP), Big Sandy Area Community Action Program (BSACAP), and Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) to completely cover the cost of paramedic courses for the 2026 cohort.

According to an article on Big Sandy Community and Technical College’s website, Joyce Wilcox, who serves as the college’s Director of Workforce Solutions, was quoted as saying of the TRAINS funding, "The TRAINS initiative demonstrates what can happen when workforce partners come together around a common goal. By working alongside EKCEP, BSACAP, SOAR, and our KCTCS partners, we've removed financial barriers, expanded access across Eastern Kentucky, and created a pathway that helps students build meaningful careers while meeting one of our region's most critical workforce needs."

The TRAINS initiative covered 75% of the tuition and fees for students in the cohort, and the workforce partners came together to cover the remainder, which included uniforms, credentialing requirements, background checks, drug screenings, and each student's first attempt at the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians certification exam. Additionally, Big Sandy Community and Technical College partnered with Hazard Community and Technical College and Ashland Community and Technical College to help the paramedic students to complete their laboratory and clinical requirements closer to their homes while participating in hybrid classroom instruction at BSCTC.

The current 2026 cohort is the first to have received TRAINS initiative funding, and it contains 28 students from around Eastern Kentucky. The paramedic program is an 11-month program that is designed to be flexible and completed in a hybrid manner to help accommodate the working schedules of students. Students will complete online coursework and weekly labs as well as clinical experiences.

Chris Gilley, the Director of EMS programs at BSCTC, said, "The TRAINS Program opened the door for people in our region to become paramedics at no cost. It allows students to pursue their career goals while helping communities by placing more highly trained paramedics in the field. This program is about creating opportunities. Many of our students are working hard to improve their lives and advance their careers. Our goal is to give them every possible opportunity to succeed."

The next cohort of the program begins in 2027 and the college is working to again secure funding from community partners to continue expanding access to more individuals.

Dr. Samuel Todd Brand, the Chancellor of BSCTC, said, "Providing affordable, high-quality workforce education is central to our mission at Big Sandy Community and Technical College. We are expanding access to life-changing educational opportunities and strengthening the EMS workforce our communities depend on every day."

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