Three Million Participants Receive Workforce Training Through KCTCS

WKCTC Proud to Be Part of Workforce Milestone

Paducah, KY (01/23/2018) — Contacts: Terri Giltner, terri.giltner@kctcs.edu, 859-256-3186, Mary Hemlepp, mary.hemlepp@kctcs.edu, 859-256-3330

Versailles, Ky. - The Workforce Solutions team at the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) has reached a milestone. They have provided services for more than three million program participants since the program began in 2000.

The 16 colleges of KCTCS offer customized training and support services for business and industry statewide. One example is WACKER Chemical Corporation in Calvert City, which requested employee training in Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Black Belt through West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC).

This training resulted in a company savings of approximately $2.5 million over the past 18 months. Because of the success of the project, more engineers were hired to focus on additional projects, and all students who took the national certification exams passed.

"The training that our team has received through WKCTC and the KCTCS-Trains program has resulted in multiple operational excellence and cost savings projects for WACKER. They have armed our team members with valuable specialized skills and knowledge which they will carry with them throughout their careers," said Jeremy Teague, Polymers Productivity manager.

Another example is General Motors' Corvette plant in Bowling Green, which partnered with Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College (SKYCTC) to develop customized training on various electromechanical engineering topics to improve skills and safety for maintenance repairs. SKYCTC helped the plant's maintenance and engineering teams further enhance their skillset to find new ways to become more efficient at their jobs.

"The robotics training has significantly improved operator knowledge and saved money for the plant," said Ryan Trammell, Central Engineering/Maintenance planner. "SKYCTC's ability to improve our technical employees' skills hands-on, theory and safety knowledge for the specialized jobs they are assigned has helps us do higher quality repairs and reduce downtime."

The Bowling Green Assembly plant successfully relaunched in the fall after a 13-week shutdown to finish construction of a state-of-the-art paint shop and to retool the facility for a more efficient build process. This is part of GM's more than $773 million of investments at Bowling Green Assembly since 2015.

In addition to these types of training programs, KCTCS colleges offer open enrollment classes for hundreds of topics to help individuals and companies. The centerpiece of the KCTCS workforce and economic development efforts is the KCTCS-TRAINS program. Through KCTCS-TRAINS, companies receive funding to assist with the cost of providing workforce training and assessment services to current, as well as, potential employees. The program is part of the Kentucky Skills Network, which is a partnership of workforce professionals from the Cabinet for Economic Development, Kentucky Career Center, Labor Cabinet and KCTCS who are dedicated to providing training and education services for business and industry.

KCTCS colleges also provide workplace assessments for business and industry as well as individuals. Assessments range from nationally recognized certifications to specific licenses required by the state. The schedules and types of assessments vary by location and typically require an appointment.

For more information on Workforce Solutions, businesses may contact their local KCTCS college or visit the website.WKCTC's website is westkentucky@kctcs.edu.

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The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is the Commonwealth's largest postsecondary institution with 16 colleges and more than 70 campuses. We also are Kentucky's largest provider of workforce training and online education. Through partnerships with business and industry, we align our programs to meet the needs of local employers. We help students fulfill their dreams of creating a better life through programs that lead directly to jobs or help them transfer to one of our four-year partners.

Connect with KCTCS: kctcs.edu | Facebook.com/kctcs | Twitter @kctcs

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