KDVA Grant Helps ACTC Ready to Work Students
Students in the Ready to Work and Work and Learn programs at Ashland Community and Technical College have learned how to manage their money and how to avoid abusive relationships through a program from the Kentucky Domestic Violence Association (KDVA).
The program was presented on May 18 by Elizabeth Anderson, KDVA Administrator of Economic Empowerment Programs. The combination of money management guidelines and ways to avoid domestic violence was designed to help students develop skills and strategies that can lead to financial and personal empowerment.
Other sessions during the day included childcare and service issues by Steven Kouns, Public Program Specialist Assistant with the Department for Community Based Services; and Ready to Work issues by Regina Miller, ACTC Ready to Work Coordinator; and Marilyn Dowdy, KCTCS Ready to Work Program Director.
While these topics may seem to be unusual for college students, Ready to Work/Work and Learn students receive a variety of services that can help in their transition to higher education, progress through college and graduate into the workforce.
Ready to Work and Work and Learn are provided through a partnership between ACTC and the KY Cabinet for Health and Family Services to assist low-income parents who qualify for the Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program.
Ready to Work is for parents enrolled at ACTC, while the Work and Learn component is for parents enrolled in Adult Education who are working towards their GED or who need remediation before taking college courses. Both programs provide a variety of services to help students succeed in college, including counseling, advocacy, mentoring, referrals to community resources and job references and referrals.
Services that can help them overcome barriers to college completion can include counseling, advising and mentoring; job readiness, life skills, and academic success seminars and referrals to community resources.
Students also have access to other resources through their local case manager for transportation and car repairs, child care, uniforms, school supplies, license fees, criminal background checks, drug test, drivers’ education and other needs.
Ready to Work/Work and Learn programs have a work study component to them, which allows qualified students to earn extra income and gain valuable work experience while taking classes. Employers include businesses and non-profit organizations in Boyd, Carter, Elliott, Greenup and Lawrence counties.
“Student success is our purpose,” said Miller. “Our students are preparing for a college degree or credential that can help them secure a new or better job. They are also learning life skills that can enhance their ability to succeed after college.”
For more information on Ready to Work/Work and Learn, contact Miller at 606.326.2216 or email: regina.miller@kctcs.edu.
Industrial Maintenance Covers Many Technologies
The Industrial Maintenance Technology program at Ashland Community and Technical College prepares students to become multi-skilled technicians in today’s heavy and light industries.
The program includes courses in industrial electricity, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, welding, plumbing, machine tool technology, industrial equipment maintenance and mechanical drive systems.
“There are high paying jobs in our area for people who have multiple skills, and the number of available jobs continues to grow,” said Program Coordinator Mark Smith.
According to the Kentucky occupational outlook handbook for 2012-2022, the projected job growth for Industrial Maintenance technicians is 12%, which is faster than average. The 2013 median pay was over $39,000 a year.
Many Industrial Maintenance students at ACTC are recent high school graduates preparing for a career, but some students come to the program for job retraining.
This spring, some laid-off AK Steel employees used their downtime to take classes. Helped through a steel mill and union funded education program, they were building new skills that would help them if called back to work or would improve their job opportunities with other companies. “I’m learning new skills to advance my career in the future, wherever that future might be,” said Jason Easter, a Proctorville resident taking Industrial Maintenance classes.
Multiple skills can be useful in preparing for current jobs that require more than one specialized skill. With more than one area of knowledge, graduates maximize their job options, and employers can find people who can perform more than one job if the need arises.
Students can start out with courses for one of four certificates that can be completed in a year or less: Mechanic Level I, Mechanic level II, Machinist’s Mechanic and Electrical Mechanic. By combining all certificate classes, students can earn a Diploma.
When general education courses are added to the Diploma, students can earn an Associate in Science Degree. The degree gives graduates a broader knowledge base that can help them advance into supervisory positions. The courses can be transferred to Morehead State University and Shawnee State University to count toward a Bachelor’s Degree.
For more information on Industrial Maintenance, contact Dr. Keith Brammell at 606.326.2426, email keith.brammell@kctcs.edu or Sheila Marcum at 606.326.2485, email: sheila.marcum@kctcs.edu.
Summer II Reminder
Recent high school graduates can get a head start on fall with ACTC Summer Session II classes. June 6 is the deadline to apply online at: ashland.kctcs.edu.
The five-week session starts June 20 and ends July 24. In-state tuition is $147 per credit hour, and residents of neighboring Ohio and West Virginia counties qualify for in-state tuition. For more information, call the Admissions Office, 606-326-2000. For Financial Aid information, call 855.246.2282.
Classes for Early Childcare Providers
Free classes for continuing education credit are offered in June for early child providers, employees, coordinators and administrators in Boyd, Carter, Elliott, and Greenup Counties. Classes are hosted by ACTC at the Roberts Drive Campus and offered through the Northeastern Alliance Community Early Childhood Council.
A class on Stress Management: Adults and Children will provide practical stress management techniques for a preschool classroom. Topics include identifying stress warning signs in adults and children and using stress management techniques effectively. The class meets Saturday, June 11, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
A class on Thinking Outside of the Box will focus on the use of open ended questions, prompts, and strategies such as brainstorming to develop higher order thinking skills in children. This content is appropriate for all age levels. The class meets Tuesday, June 14, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Registration is online at: ashland.kctcs.edu/workforce_solutions. For more information, contact Chrisha Spears at ACTC, chrisha.spears@kctcs.edu or 606.326.2425.
ACTC Staff Council Elected
Staff employees at ACTC have elected the members of the 2016/2017 Staff Executive Council, with terms that begin August 1. Officers are Chair Janet Thompson, Admissions Advisor and Ashland resident; Vice-Chair Amber Weddington, HR Specialist and Flatwoods resident, and Secretary Mayra Mendez, Advising Office Assistant and Argillite resident.
Staff Representatives are Robin M. Harris, Workforce Solutions Assessment Coordinator from Ashland; Sarah K. Klein, Library Assistant I from Ashland; Ronald J. McDavid, Assistant Director of Student Support Services from Catlettsburg; Roxanne M. Neal, Health Science Division Assistant from Ironton; Jason M. Salyers, Financial Aid Specialist from Flatwoods; and Lori A. West, Custodial Worker II from Ashland.
Kellie Allen, Director of Human Resources, is Staff Representative to the College Foundation Board of Directors and Chrisha Spears, Workforce Solutions Specialist, is Staff Representative to the ACTC Board of Directors. Both are from Ashland.
The Staff Council represents the staff in the college organizational structure and decision making process.
