WRSI Awards Summary

April 2017

 

By Madelynn Coldiron

Staff writer

 

Twenty-five projects received a total of $65.5 million, which will leverage $84.5 million in matching funds, about a quarter of which is in-kind. None received the original amount requested; in fact, the total amount requested by all applicants came to $13.4 million.

Awarded $1.52 million with $358,000 match

 

Caldwell County Schools will renovate its area technology center to expand training programs and purchase up-to-date equipment.

 

• Will train skilled health care workers and trades: plumbing, tool and die, pipefitters.

 

Awarded $3.8 million with $12.2 million match

 

Paducah Independent Schools will build a state-of-the-art technology center to be a Regional Innovation Hub unique to Kentucky, dedicated to developing high-tech talent in health care, information technology, cybersecurity, engineering technology and logistics. The Hub will be a game-changer for western Kentucky and a model for developing a highly skilled technology workforce.

 

Awarded $3.04 million with $338,000 match

 

Employers, 12 Purchase-area school districts, West Kentucky Community and Technical College, Murray State University, UK Engineering (Paducah) and many others came together to purchase updated equipment and provide for the training needs of the Purchase Region in all five core Kentucky sectors.

 

• Credentials will include 976 students and adults earning postsecondary or dual credits, 882 earning KOSSA and Work Keys, 488 earning other types of certifications, 65 involved in apprenticeships, and 30 KY FAME (Kentucky Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education) graduates annually.

 

Awarded $2.86 million with $2.9 million match

 

The project will refurbish and equip lab space at OCTC’s Downtown Campus and OCTC Hancock County Training Center, building on the region’s existing and well-defined pipeline development structure.

 

Students and adults will be trained in advance manufacturing, health sciences and information technology, including current worker training for local industries.

 

 

Awarded $328,700 with $358,172 match.

 

For the purchase of updated equipment for all five core sectors.

 

Awarded $6.84 million with $1 million match.

 

Barren County Schools will construct a state-of-the-art Barren Regional Technical Campus to address community workforce needs in high-demand STEM and services industries. The current Kentucky Tech Barren County ATC needs additional space, modernization and upgrades to ensure students have access to training that will prepare them for current and future workforce needs.

 

Awarded $77,520 with $252,690 match.

 

Grant will fund equipment for a Medical Arts Career Academy on the high school campus, supporting pre-nursing (SRNA), medical administrative assistant (CMAA), phlebotomy tech (CPT) and electrocardiogram tech, and future expansion to EMT/fire safety.

 

 

Warren County ATC will renovate its existing building to add space for classes and purchase updated equipment to start new programs and expand others. The ATC proposes three pilot programs as an Early College Career Academy. The robotics and automation engineering, and computerized manufacturing and machining will be the new programs while the welding program will be expanded to include robotics to meet the needs of local industries.

 

 

The school will purchase AMTEC simulator to support advanced manufacturing technician training in SKY FAME (Southern Kentucky chapter of FAME) program.

 

Nelson County Area Technology Center

 

Awarded $64,526 with $35,873 match.

 

 

Will train 95 adults and 160 students annually (increase over current capacity by 85 and 50).

Awarded $15.2 million with $5 million match.

 

The largest award granted will construct an Advanced Manufacturing Center in a region without one: the community with the largest industrial base (more than 560 industrial firms), and the community with the most significant growth and demand for a workforce qualified to work for those employers. The new facility will house multiple flexible labs, classrooms and support areas. The renovation of existing space, vacated by the programs that will move to the Center, will provide for the in-demand expansion of the automotive technology programs.

Partner employers include UPS, Interapt, Trilogy Health Services, Toyota Technician Training, Greater Louisville Automobile Dealers Association, Ford Motor Company, GE Appliances, Lantech, Greater Louisville KYFAME, 12 additional companies, James Graham Brown Foundation, The Gheens Foundation, Inc., and the Louisville Urban League.

 

Awarded $3.23 million with $10.7 million match.

 

Through expanded and improved facilities at the Shelby County Area Technology Center, Eminence Independent Schools and Jefferson Community and Technical College-Shelby County Campus, the region will be better equipped to provide up-to-date, applicable and appropriate training to secondary, postsecondary and adult learners from Shelby County and the surrounding counties to help meet the needs of a continually growing manufacturing base along the I-64 corridor.

 

 

Awarded $6.84 million with $16.65 million match.

 

The NKY Regional STEAM Academy will be a truly innovative workforce training opportunity focused on advanced manufacturing, trades, information technology and health science. Funds will support renovation of an existing building, and the purchase of equipment and furnishings.

 

 

Renovations and equipment will support entry-level health and professional careers. In 2014, Center for Employment and Training at the Brighton Center was recognized by the White House as one of 30 career training programs “that work.”

 

 

This grant will fund the construction of a new building that will serve as an Advanced Manufacturing Center on BCTC’s Danville Campus. Equipment will be purchased to furnish the facility and provide training within the construction/trades and advanced manufacturing sectors.

 

• Will train 180 adults and 210 students annually (increase over current capacity by 124 and 156).

Awarded $3 million with $5.3 million match.

 

The facility will include several “on ramps” to health-care career pathways, including starting points for secondary students (working with high schools and area technology centers), adults working on their GED (in conjunction with Adult Education providers), currently employed adults seeking additional education/training and credentials in order to promote career advancement (alongside industry partners), and BCTC students.

 

Awarded $760,000 with $1.59 million match.

 

Jessamine County Schools will renovate and purchase equipment to support a new hybrid Project Lead the Way/CTE Pathways in Manufacturing beginning with computerized manufacturing and machine engineering and eventually adding welding engineering and electrical engineering.

 

Awarded $382,149 with $1 million match.

 

Funding will provide upgraded equipment and software for training in advanced manufacturing and health care. The locations for this project will be existing facilities that will serve as training centers for the project; for example, ATC will provide career training for all three school districts’ students in Whitley County and adult training in the evenings, while the public library will offer a new site of over 5,000 square feet for a training lab. Each school district will allocate dedicated space within its buildings to conduct seminars and training; and postsecondary institutions will provide space for courses and training.

 

 

Green County Schools plans to renovate/modernize its area technology center to improve its ability to offer updated technology and training to students in the areas of health care, manufacturing and information technology, including certifications for electrical technician, pre-nursing, allied health, pharmacy technician, machinist technician, business multimedia, information process, welder-entry level and cabinetmaker.

 

Awarded $3.8 million with $3.1 million match.

 

 

• Will train 640 adults and 280 students annually (increase over current capacity by 240 and 201).

Awarded $1.14 million with $280,000 match.

 

Grant will purchase equipment for a 35,000-square-foot facility that will house the labs of existing programs at the Rowan Campus, including the HVAC, welding, construction, diesel mechanic and auto mechanic labs.

 

Awarded $2.9 million with $4.25 million match.

 

The funds will be used to build a one-story, 14,700-square-foot Intergenerational Training Center on the Lees College Campus in Jackson. Programs there will fill a gap in industry training. Mechatronics programs (advanced manufacturing) currently are not offered in HCTC’s service region. Medical assisting/telemedicine program (health sciences) is a relatively new health science field that is being implemented by health-care providers across the region. While information technology programs are available, few students are successfully earning an industry credential. HCTC will partner with regional high schools to offer a dual-credit high school model for high-tech technical programs.

 

Awarded $30,780 with $20,100 match.

 

Lee County Area Technology Center will purchase SimMan, a simulated, programmable patient, and build a SimMan lab and a mock hospital room to train students and adults to higher skill levels required for the health-care field. Pathways will include medical nurse aide, pharmacy tech, EKG tech, sports medicine and physical therapy.

 

Awarded $2.7 million with $3.4 million match.

 

 

• Will train 300 adults and 285 students annually (increase over current capacity by 300 and 62).

Awarded $1.8 million with $7.45 million match.

 

 

• Will train 2,508 adults and 1,700 students annually (all new capacity).

 

 

In Conversation With ... Hal Heiner on Kentucky's Work Ready Skills Initiative