It’s no secret that businesses in Central Kentucky, across the commonwealth and the nation often have more job openings than qualified workers to fill them. That’s why higher education institutions are increasingly working with the business community to align programs and training to meet the evolving needs of business.
Through a combination of partnerships with industry leaders, innovative programs and cutting-edge research, these institutions are equipping students with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in the professional world.
When it comes to preparing students for the careers of today and the future, Kentuckians need look no further than the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, which is the state’s largest provider of workforce training. Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC), with approximately 13,000 students and seven campuses in Central Kentucky, works with business partners to align curriculum that meets employers’ needs.
One of the best examples of this is the college’s Workforce Solutions program, which provides customized training for new and incumbent workers. Through funding from the Kentucky General Assembly, BCTC offers this training at up to a 75% discount. Last year, BCTC served 174 businesses and trained 865 individuals in Central Kentucky, its best year yet.
“BCTC is very proud of our long-standing partnerships with business and industry to meet both upskilling of employees and quickly respond to the need to increase the number of individuals entering and advancing in careers within the industry sectors most critical to workforce development and economic growth in Central Kentucky,” said Erin Tipton, BCTC’s associate vice president for Workforce Solutions.
Although much of the training to support upskilling of incumbent workers has occurred in the manufacturing sector, BCTC Workforce Solutions has experienced a significant increase in service to the healthcare industry. The program has trained more than 80 individuals for short-term certifications to become medication aides, phlebotomists and registered nurse’s aides.
Due to a statewide shortage of all types of healthcare workers, BCTC sought ways to work with local hospitals to train more workers quickly. The college now is part of the Lexington Healthcare Collaborative, a group of healthcare leaders from Baptist Health Lexington, CHI Saint Joseph and UK HealthCare who came together to solve common workforce shortages in entry-level positions within their organizations.
Partnerships with healthcare providers is a priority at Eastern Kentucky University as well. The university collaborates with Baptist Health Richmond to provide training opportunities for future healthcare practitioners and with Marshall Pediatric Therapy to provide hands-on experience and skilled occupational therapists.
For some universities, partnerships with other higher-education institutions are just as vital as their business partnerships. For example, Asbury University has a partnership with UK’s pharmacy program. Asbury also has programs with UK and EKU for preferred admissions for bachelor’s degree (BSN) completion.
Partnerships help prepare for the future
EKU works alongside a number of local businesses and schools such as Commonwealth Credit Union to provide innovative education in the emerging field of financial technology and cybercrime, has partnered with school districts to provide alternative routes to teacher certification, and teamed up with many businesses whose leaders participate in curriculum advisory boards to ensure EKU students are learning the skills necessary for the needs of today’s employers.
Additionally, the university recently launched programs in high-demand fields, including manufacturing engineering, financial technology and cybercrime, elementary education, nursing and more. It also expanded its 100% online programs to now include elementary education to make teacher certification more accessible.
EKU offers the only four-year aviation degree program in the state to help meet the needs in aerospace, which is Kentucky’s top export.
The university’s partnership with the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers (KAM) provides it with the opportunity to listen to leaders in the state’s growing manufacturing industry. EKU supports manufacturing operations at every step with skilled graduates across many fields, including occupational safety, engineering technology management, supply chain, risk management and insurance, aviation and manufacturing engineering. EKU’s robust programs attract manufacturing companies and jobs to the area.
Asbury University also is answering the business community’s call for assistance through its business program, specifically in accounting. In addition, the university recently rolled out a new master’s program in Instructional Design, Innovation and Leadership, which combines technology with best practices for the future of education.
Asbury’s program focuses on developing skills in the theories of learning and design paired with the latest digital educational technologies and skills for the 21st-century workforce. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates faster than average job growth for instructional designers and coordinators over the next 10 years.
“Tomorrow’s marketplace is changing at an exponential pace,” Asbury President Kevin Brown said. “Content knowledge isn’t going away. An adapting future calls for an adaptive leader. But tomorrow’s successful leaders should also possess higher-order competencies like critical thinking, prudence, and social and emotional skills, allowing them to be flexible across a variety of job fields.”
Developing well-rounded students
At UK, business partnerships are a priority as well and the university collaborates with a many local and state employers. The university also has a major focus on research and has established eight Research Priority Areas (RPA). The latest is Materials Science Research, which allows materials scientists to understand relationships between material processing, structure, properties and performance and explores ways to make materials strong, flexible, heat-resistant or otherwise optimized for a specific application.
UK says these materials are vital to a number of fields including medicine, manufacturing, automotive and aerospace applications, all of which play a significant role in Kentucky’s economy.
“UK’s new Materials Science Research Priority Area is crucial for Kentucky’s economic development, technological advancement, environmental sustainability, health care and many other aspects of our industry landscape,” said John Balk, director of the Materials Science RPA. “Our research aims to enhance the competitiveness of Kentucky-based companies by providing them with cutting-edge, innovative materials that can fortify our key industries, such as manufacturing and energy.”
Because of the growth of new and expanding businesses in the commonwealth, UK’s board of trustees recently directed President Eli Capilouto to ensure the university continues to increase enrollment and create incentives for students to stay in Kentucky after graduation to assist in addressing the state’s workforce needs.
Berea College also sees the importance of well-rounded students who understand the world of work.
One aspect that separates Berea College from others is that it’s one of 10 federally recognized Work Colleges. According to the college’s website, Berea is “one of a few work colleges where its work-to-learn-to-earn model is intrinsic throughout the learning community.” Students work a minimum of 10 hours per week at a paid campus job. This provides students with much-needed work experience that prepares them for the workplace after graduation.
Several jobs allow students to apply what they learn in the classroom in real-world settings. This includes agricultural and natural resources majors who work on the college farm, computer science majors who develop software applications for use on campus and business majors who run college retail outlets.
Berea’s Center for Excellence in Learning through Service (CELTS) regularly collaborates with organizations such as Federations of Appalachian Housing Enterprises and Mountain Association, which support regional economic development. This provides students with hands-on experience through labor positions, summer placements and service-learning course collaborations. CELTS also supports collaborations with locally owned businesses, primarily through service-learning courses.
Eighty-four percent of recent Berea graduates participated in at least one internship, service-learning course, education abroad or undergraduate research opportunity.
Internships and other hands-on opportunities play an important role in The Gatton Academy at Western Kentucky University, too. The Gatton Academy is a two-year, residential program focused on science and math for high school juniors and seniors. The program is open to students statewide who meet the criteria and frequently includes students from Central Kentucky.
The goal of The Gatton Academy is to enable Kentucky’s exceptional young scientists and mathematicians to learn in an environment that offers advanced educational opportunities, preparing them for leadership roles in the commonwealth. Students are exposed to career fields through guest speakers such as astronaut Terry Wilcutt, Gov. Andy Beshear, U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie and State Sen. Max Wise; field trips; and attending conferences. Students also can take advantage of the college’s business partnerships by participating in summer internships.
“Businesses and universities continue to partner with Gatton because our students are ready to learn, with relentless work ethic and dedication,” said Ashley Taylor, assistant director of alumni relations and outreach at WKU. “Until you spend a summer alongside them, you don’t understand how capable 16- and 17-year-old students can be —they just need the chance to learn and shine.”
It’s clear the opportunity to learn and shine is abundantly available to any Kentuckian who wants it. Kentucky’s colleges and universities are preparing students of all ages to help fill the gaps in the workforce in Central Kentucky and throughout the commonwealth, improving graduates’ quality of life as well as the state’s economy.
As the needs of Central Kentucky businesses change, higher education stands ready to meet those needs. From curriculum alignment and cutting-edge research to work-and-learn programs, colleges and universities are ensuring that students have a multitude of opportunities to prepare for careers offered in their communities. Employers and students alike benefit from the close partnerships between higher ed and the business community. Continuing these partnerships is key to Kentucky’s workforce development and economic prosperity.
