UPS officials were extremely pleased with the area students who showed up at the Perry County JobSight workforce center for a job fair that offered free college tuition in return for a commitment to work part-time at the company's Louisville facility.

Six high school seniors took UPS up on its offer to fully cover their tuition at one of three Louisville colleges while they work paid part-time jobs for the company, according to Jack Duff, manager of the Perry County JobSight.

"UPS was looking for quality rather than quantity," Duff said. "They spent more than an hour and a half with each student, so this kind of turnout was exactly what they said they wanted."

The students were assisted during the JobSight job fair by Laura Elmore and Sandy Hartz, both recruiting specialists for UPS in Louisville.

In return for working 15 to 20 hours per week at UPS's Louisville facility, the students will receive free tuition to the University of Louisville, Jefferson Community College, or Jefferson Technical College, Elmore said.

"There is no limit to the programs they can pursue and no time limit," Elmore said. "As long as they continue to work part-time for UPS, 100 percent of their tuition will be paid."

In addition to fully covering the students' tuition, Elmore said UPS will provide them full medical, dental, vision, and prescription insurance coverage at no cost, beginning after they have worked 120 days with the company.

Duff said he is pleased JobSight is able to help major employers like UPS recruit quality employees from among area students preparing to graduate high school.

"At JobSight we're all about helping find jobs for people and people for jobs, so this job fair for UPS fits nicely into that mission," Duff said. "It's a great bonus that this program will also let these students go to college essentially for free."

The Perry County JobSight-operated by the L.K.L.P. Community Action Council just south of Hazard at Jeff-is part of the JobSight network of workforce centers administered by the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP). JobSight centers provide access to a dozen government workforce programs for job seekers and employers through a single location.

Based in Hazard, EKCEP administers government employment and training programs and employer services in 23 rural mountain counties.

For additional information on EKCEP and its JobSight network of workforce centers, call Jack Duff at 606-436-3161.