Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College receives grant to establish two new training programs

Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College has received $1,633,164 from the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization Initiative. POWER seeks to help Appalachian communities bounce back and into more sustainable jobs after losses in careers related to the coal industry.

According to an article on Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College’s website, Gayle Manchin, the federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission, explained the initiative, saying, “ARC’s POWER initiative supports coal-impacted communities' preparation for the next phase of Appalachia’s economy, while ensuring that residents have a say in the course of their own futures. The investments announced in this round of POWER will help train workers, advance new industries and build upon the progress already being made toward a brighter future full of economic opportunity for our region.”

Using the grant award, Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College will establish the SKCTC Pathways to Power project, which will create two new programs for the school. These programs are the CDL program to train truck drivers and the lineman program to train individuals to work with power lines and cables.

Sherri Clark, who serves as the dean of Community, Workforce and Economic Development, explained, “The overarching goal of the project is to create a robust training program to meet the need for high demand career pathways, family sustaining wages and a measurable economic impact within our service region.”

Support for the SKCTC Pathways to Power project comes from additional community partners, including Barbourville Utilities, Bell County Fiscal Court, Chu-Con Inc, Comb Equipment, Cumberland Valley Electric, Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP), Harlan County Fiscal Court, Middlesboro Coca-Cola Bottling Works, Patterson Trucking, and Solid Steel Solutions.

The two new programs will begin in the Spring 2025 semester and are expected to serve 372 students.

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