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KCTCS highlights workforce training role; Blue Oval training center operational but funding needs remain
Summary
KCTCS officials said the system is the state's largest provider of workforce training, partners with thousands of employers, and that the Blue Oval training facility in Glendale is open and training employees but may need additional operating funds next year.
Dr. Ryan Quarles, president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), told the House budget review subcommittee that the system is a central workforce partner for Kentucky employers and urged more employers to form partnerships with KCTCS.
"If you don't have a partnership with KCTCS, it's time to pick up the phone today," Quarles said, describing the system's role in upskilling workers and offering both credit-bearing degrees and noncredit workforce training.
Quarles provided enrollment and training figures the system uses to describe its scale: he said KCTCS educates "45% of all undergraduates in Kentucky," that enrollment is "up by over 7% from this time last year," and that the system serves roughly 88,000 Kentuckians in workforce training who do not currently seek a credential. He also said KCTCS provides about 68% of the state's dual credit and 54% of GED instruction, and that roughly 80% of KCTCS students qualify for some form of financial aid.
Representative Tipton asked specifically about the Blue Oval training facility in Glendale and whether the center is meeting training and operating-cost expectations. Quarles said the building is open and operational and that employees of the company are being trained there. He added that initial operating costs for the first year have been supported by state officials, and that KCTCS "more than likely" will request additional operating funds in the next budget cycle to sustain the facility.
Nut graf: The presentation positioned KCTCS as a statewide workforce engine—operating college programs, dual credit, GED instruction and large-scale noncredit training—and flagged that specialized training centers such as the Blue Oval facility may require ongoing state support to cover operating costs.
Quarles said KCTCS partners with about 5,000 businesses annually, and that the system exhausts certain state-funded workforce scholarships and training funds each year, including the Work Ready Scholarship funded by the Kentucky Lottery. He described efforts to align KCTCS programs with employer needs across regions, including seeking better coordination with mayors and judge-executives on local hiring needs.
Ending: Quarles invited committee members to tour training facilities and follow up with specific questions about employer partnerships and training operations.
