Ten new miners have been trained and will enter the coal industry thanks to the Coal Careers Program, a component of the new Kentucky Coal Academy.

The graduates gathered at the Hager Hill Campus of Big Sandy Community and Technical College to mark the conclusion of approximately 1,700 hours of training, done both in the classroom and on-the-job at mines operated by Booth Energy and Excel Mining.

The Coal Careers Program gives prospective miners an extensive 30-week combination of classroom and on-the-job instruction. Tuesday's graduates are the second group to complete the program, which is supplemented by funding from the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP).

EKCEP funds helped cover the training salaries of the first and second graduating classes, and will cover those costs for the two classes currently in training and the planned fifth and sixth classes. Other program costs are supported by Booth Energy and Excel Mining, Big Sandy Community and Technical College, and the Kentucky Coal Academy.

"People need training to get into the coal industry, and coal mines need trained miners," said Crawford Blakeman, manager of EKCEP's Business Solutions team. "We're pleased to continue working with a program that is helping meet such a high profile need on both sides of the workforce equation."

Based in Hazard, EKCEP is a federally funded non-profit agency that administers the JobSight network of workforce centers in 23 eastern Kentucky counties. At JobSight "one-stop" workforce centers, job seekers and employers can access over a dozen state and federal employment and training programs and employer services in a single location. EKCEP's Business Solutions services help link employers with the right employees through numerous services, activities, and initiatives.

Participants in the Coal Careers Program are paid as they work to complete their training and are considered part-time employees of their sponsoring coal companies. The program includes training on high-tech virtual mining simulators that vividly mimic the experience of operating the continuous-mining and roof-bolting machines used in underground mining, or the haul trucks, dozers, and loaders used in surface mining.

Instructors deliver classroom training on mining-related topics like safety and first aid, welding, electricity, and hydraulics along with classes on business and personal finance, computer operation, and other practical skills.

The program alternates blocks of classroom work with hands-on work at actual coal mines. Through both types of training, participants become certified miners, as well as Mine Emergency Technicians (METs). Successfully completing the program makes full-time job opportunities with the sponsoring coal companies available to the graduates.

The Kentucky Coal Academy training initiative also offers courses at Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) locations in Hazard, Madisonville, and Harlan.

For additional information on EKCEP's Business Solutions services, contact Crawford Blakeman at 606-436-5751, or visit www.jobsight.org.