Johnny Collins was trying to make a dollar stretch about 10 different ways. While it was not easy, it was a necessity in order for his family to survive on his meager $6,000 annual income. Times were hard, he said, and they did not look like they would turn around any time soon. Without the WIA On-the-Job Training (OJT) program, they might not have.

"I had quit one job and was working another, and I would work there every day then go home and work on diesel trucks and loaders for a guy who would pay me enough to make it through the week," said Johnny, a 1993 graduate of Wheelwright High School in Floyd County. "By the time you pay your house payment, electric bill and other things, all you've got left is enough to make it back to work and back home in the evening."

The birth of his first son inspired Johnny to seek a better life for his family. He decided to try to become an underground miner. He obtained his coal miner's "green card"—which allows a miner to work underground under close supervision—in June 2001, but was unable to land a job bBecause he had no experience. Johnny left each mining company he visited over the next several months empty-handed—except one.

Dennis Yonts, owner and operator of Starlight Coal Company in Allen, was not able to offer to hire Johnny, but he recommend that Johnny check out the WIA OJT program offered through the Pike County JobSight, EKCEP.'s one-stop workforce center in Pikeville. That suggestion proved to be the starting point of a huge positive change in Johnny's life that he could never have imagined at the time.

Johnny followed Yonts' recommendation and spoke with Lucy Combs, OJT coordinator at the Pike County JobSight. Combs picked up the telephone, and within minutes came back with an OJT offer for Johnny. That offer led him right back to Starlight Coal.

Johnny began working for Starlight Coal under the OJT program on January 25, 2002. The company had worked with the program in the past to give inexperienced young workers like Johnny a chance to start working in a coal mine. OJT is often their only chance to get actual underground experience. As an OJT participant, Johnny was able to earn money while he worked toward completing the 880 hours required for him to become a certified underground miner.

Thanks to the OJT program, Johnny completed the required training and became a certified underground miner. He was hired as a full-time employee of Starlight Coal on May 23, 2002.

After Johnny became a full-time employee, Yonts allowed him to try his hand at several different specialities involved in underground mining operations. Johnny pursued some of those specialties and eventually became certified as a mining electrician and welder.

Today, Johnny serves as Starlight Coal's head electrician and repairman. In those positions, Johnny earns more than five times the salary he was earning before he began the OJT program.

"In less than two years, I went from just being here to doing both of those jobs," Johnny said. "I told them that if they gave me a chance, I'd show them what I could do. If it wasn't for OJT, I wouldn't have had that chance."

Because of his dramatically increased income, Johnny can now comfortably provide for himself, his wife and two sons.

"I had one car, lived in a one-bedroom house, and barely made enough money to eat," he said. "Now we've always got enough to eat, and we moved into a four-bedroom house. I've also got my own service truck, my own tools, basically whatever I need to do the jobs that I do. Before, I didn't have anything."

Johnny said it is in his nature to keep climbing as far up in his career as he can, rather than rest on his past achievements. He plans to work next toward becoming a foreman at the mine. Later, he might try to become a state or federal mine inspector.

"If I'm going to do this, I'm going to go all the way to the top," he said.

In the same breath, he states that he owes his confidence and all of his success during the past two years to having the chance provided by OJT.

"Within this little time, things have just taken right off for me," Johnny said. "I'm glad I met the people that helped me out and got me involved in the program, and I could never thank them enough."