Business and industry leaders in Clark County are working with educators to better prepare students for future careers and to ensure a skilled workforce and support the Winchester Industrial Park.
The 1+1 Program is a partnership among Bluegrass Community and Technical College, Clark County Public Schools, Clark County Fiscal Court and local businesses to create an associate’s degree program in integrated engineering. Winchester BCTC Campus Director Bruce Manley said he met with executives from companies located in the Industrial Park — also home to BCTC’s Winchester campus — in November 2012 to see how the college could support them.
From those meetings, Manley said, industry leaders expressed concern over finding employees skilled at industrial maintenance.
Winchester-Clark County Industrial Development Authority Director Todd Denham said it is a common complaint throughout the region, and leaders were pleased to see BCTC taking a proactive approach to the problem.
“They were trying to see how they could support industry. Obviously, education is always the biggest piece of that,” Denham said.
The first group of 1+1 students will begin classes in August. Students begin as juniors or seniors at Clark County’s George Rogers Clark High School, taking dual credit classes at the local Area Technology Center. Students are charged a $50 administrative fee for the class, paid to the college, and there are spots for up to 32 students. ATC Principal Mike Kindred said only about 16 students are expected in the first year. The second year, students will begin taking classes at BCTC’s Winchester and Leestown campuses.
The Bluegrass Workforce Investment Board is providing scholarships for seniors who have successfully completed the first-year curriculum to finish their associate’s degrees.
“It’s a group effort. We’re all pitching in,” Manley said.
A total of $180,000 has been raised to fund the program by the Clark County Fiscal Court, BCTC, and through a gala fundraiser. The Clark County Board of Education is picking up the tab on the instructor for the program’s inaugural year.
The initial investment will be primarily used to purchase equipment for the ATC. After the equipment is installed, Kindred said he hopes to use it to expand course offerings there beyond the 1+1 curriculum. Courses include circuitry, computer-aided drafting, blueprint reading, calculus and algebra.
During the second year, students also will be given an internship at a local industrial business, a stepping-stone toward future employment.
“It’s something we’re always going to be able to offer, expand and grow,” Kindred said. “These students are coming out debt-free with a high-wage skill that’s in high demand.”
Eventually, Manley said BCTC hopes to open the program to non-traditional students and existing employees.
“One of the big messages this sends [is] if you let us know your needs, we’ll work together to get them met,” Manley said.
The next goal is to share program information with students and their parents.
“We need to get parents on board, to talk to their kids about this option as a career,” Manley said.
After completing the associate’s degree, students have the option of completing a bachelor’s degree at Eastern Kentucky University or Morehead State University, which offers an online program.
“They’re looking at six-figure incomes possibly,” Manley said. “The possibilities are there. ... It shows we’re trying to be there for our industry.”