The Kentucky Cabinet for Workforce Development's Department for Training and ReEmployment presented awards for outstanding achievement to three former participants in EKCEP programs and an EKCEP staff member as part of the 2003 Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Awards Luncheon, held Nov. 12 in Lexington.

Johnny Collins of Weeksbury, Roberta Wolford of Pikeville, and Kathy Terry of Langley—all former participants in EKCEP's WIA programs—were presented WIA Alumni Excellence awards. The WIA Alumni Excellence award, given only to seven WIA alumni statewide this year, recognizes the participants' exemplary academic and employment achievements. (Further details about how Johnny, Roberta and Kathy succeeded through WIA appear below.) Dinah Campbell was presented the WIA Excellence in Customer Service award for her work as EKCEP Rapid Response Team coordinator. The award was given only to two WIA front-line staff members statewide this year. (Further details about Dinah's achievements in customer service appear below.)

Overall, four of the 16 statewide awards presented by the cabinet this year went to EKCEP staff and participants.

"EKCEP is pleased to be very well represented among the statewide WIA Award winners," said Mable Duke, executive director of EKCEP. "We are happy that the state recognizes the quality of EKCEP's work and the achievements of our participants and staff. We are especially pleased to be recognized for Excellence in Customer Service, because we place a strong emphasis on customer service.

"The three participants who were honored this year are representative of the many eastern Kentuckians who succeed through a combination of hard work and the assistance of EKCEP's WIA programs," Duke said.

Johnny Collins-WIA Alumni Excellence award: Although he was working a day job and doing mechanical work on diesel trucks at night, Johnny Collins was making only about $6,000 annually. The birth of his first son inspired him to seek a better life for himself and his family by pursuing a coal-mining career. Despite his resolve, Johnny's inexperience kept him from getting a job in that field. He got his break when a mine owner recommended that he check out the WIA On-the-Job Training Program at the Pike County JobSight. Once Johnny was enrolled in the program, the owner was able to put him to work. Thanks to the OJT program, Johnny completed all required training, became a certified underground miner, and was immediately hired. He now is the mine's head electrician and repairman, and earns more than five times the salary he was earning before he began the OJT program.

Roberta Wolford-WIA Alumni Excellence award: Despite having had to halt two previous attempts at college, Roberta tried a third time and earned a degree, setting her life on a trajectory toward success. WIA helped ensure her final attempt at a college education did not falter. Roberta is now thriving in her new career as a medical assisting instructor at the Pikeville Campus of the National College of Business and Technology. In fact, she is teaching many of the same classes she took to begin her own retraining. If she had not discovered WIA, Roberta's third attempt at earning a degree might have stalled due to the financial constraints her family encountered at the time. WIA funds covered her tuition and costs for transportation, books and other basic needs related to her final year of college. She earned her associate's degree in medical assisting in May 2002, and was hired by the college a short time later as an instructor in that program.

Kathy Terry-WIA Alumni Excellence award: Kathy Terry had dropped out of high school in the 11th grade, and a divorce several years later left her as a single mother with no job, work experience or high school diploma. The WIA helped ensure Kathy's success in becoming a registered nurse. Kathy earned a GED after her divorce, eventually remarried, and moved from Hazard to Floyd County. Once there, she began courses at Mayo Technical College in Paintsville toward becoming a licensed practical nurse, and applied for WIA supportive services. She learned she was eligible for WIA assistance that would cover her tuition as well as college-related expenses for textbooks, gas, and daily meals. Her goal still was to become a registered nurse, so she left Mayo after one semester and entered the Hazard Community College registered nursing program. Her WIA assistance proved crucial when her husband became disabled and could not work. Though she was succeeding scholastically, the financial strain could have forced her to drop out of school in order to work and support her family. Thanks to the WIA, Kathy was able to continue her studies and graduate. She began working at Pikeville Methodist Hospital just a few weeks later and became a registered nurse there after passing her state nursing board exam in August.

Dinah Campbell-WIA Excellence in Customer Service award: Rapid Response is about touching lives, not just delivering information on unemployment insurance and job training services, according to Dinah Campbell, who served as WIA Rapid Response coordinator for EKCEP. Dinah often told discouraged employees who had been laid off from eastern Kentucky's coal mines, businesses, and industries that she knew exactly what they were going through. About seven years ago, her husband was laid off and she had to lead the Rapid Response meeting at his company —with him in the crowd. Dinah carried that experience and understanding with her while leading Rapid Response meetings throughout the 23-county EKCEP Workforce Investment Area, and it helped her connect with the laid-off workers she helped. Dinah's 31 years of experience with EKCEP and her approach to her job earned her great respect among the many partner agencies which participate in Rapid Response activities, other Local Workforce Investment Areas, and leadership of the state Rapid Response Team.