WKCTC's Skills U Ranked Fifth in State

West Kentucky Community and Technical College's Skills U program has been ranked fifth in the state in adult education opportunities. 

The ranking is a significant jump from the program's previous standing of 14th overall of 30 educational institutions across the Commonwealth. 

The other institutions include several of WKCTC's sister college's, as well as four-year colleges and various state school districts that offer adult education programs. The ranking includes criteria such as enrollment goals, enrollment without a diploma, total enrollment, academic performance, GED goals, and numbers as well as percentages reached for each of the goals. 

"I am so incredibly proud of the hard, caring work the Skills U team has done for their students and our community. The team has continued to help students achieve their goals even in the face of overwhelming challenges, like COVID-19," said Emily Peck, WKCTC vice president of student services. "Their innovation, flexibility, and focus on the students has continued to help them rise in ranking statewide." 

WKCTC's Skills U Director, Tammy Maines, says that continued hard work, dedicated staff, and student success as a focus, are why the program has moved up in the rankings. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, WKCTC offered the following methods of outreach: 

1) continuing GED classes and English as a Second Language (ESL) held at local schools and throughout the community; 
2) hiring a full time college and career navigator to maintain communication with former and prospective GED students; 
3) developing community partnerships for GED opportunities; 
4) scheduling regular GED classes in McCracken and Graves County jails as well at CenterPoint Recovery Center for men. 

Maines says that WKCTC will continue to follow state and federal virus guidelines. The school first offered remote learning in mid-march, since then, the Skills U program has enrolled 45 new GED seeking students, and has over 40 new English as a Second Language students. 

You can learn more about the Skills U program by contacting Tammy Maines at tammy.maines@kctcs.edu.