EKCEP News Archive

[July 2009] "The Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program’s (EKCEP) “Let’s Go 2 Work” summer jobs initiative has taken off and one city is getting very visible results. Eight Let’s Go 2 Work participants are currently working to beautify downtown Prestonsburg by ..." Click here to read more

Let's Go 2 Work Youth Bond With Local Veterans

[July 2009] "The summer jobs provided by the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program’s Let’s Go 2 Work initiative offer a variety of work tasks to 16 to 24-year-olds. For the local participants working at the Eastern Kentucky Veterans Center in Hazard, the primary task is brightening the days of the resident veterans. Let’s Go 2 Work youth ..." Click here to read more

The Workforce Opportunity Survey Project Will Guide Workforce Training in Eastern Kentucky

[June 2009] "The Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP) is launching a six-month survey of eastern Kentucky employers that will identify the skills that the region’s workers will need to succeed in the future. The Workforce Opportunity Project survey results ..." Click here to read more

[May 2009] "A group of 21 employees of Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP) and its partners entered a new era in their professional careers recently as they obtained Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) credentials at a ceremony in ..." Click here to read more.

EKCEP Mourns the Loss of EKCEP Board Member Hickory Grace

[May 2009] "Hickory E. Grace Jr., of Middlesboro, long-time member and vice chair of the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP) Board of Directors since 2001, died May 6. He was 82. Mr. Grace brought decades of professional experience to the position..." Click here to read more.

[May 2009] "Some of the earliest visible impacts of the Federal economic stimulus plan started appearing in eastern Kentucky May 1. That's when a small army of young workers began offering their services to area businesses and agencies. As part of..."Click here to read more.

[May 2009] "In a tough job market, one of the most difficult parts of the job search is making the connection with an employer. That was made easier for nearly 175 job seekers who connected with 24 employers in one location at a recent career fair at Pikeville College. Job ..."Click here to read more.

[April 2009] EKCEP Executive Director Jeff Whitehead has advised Kentucky's Division of Workforce and Employment Services of EKCEP's intention to continue operating under its current Local Plan through June 30, 2010. A PDF of this letter of intent is available here.

[February 2009] "More than 125 eager applicants for mining jobs crowded into the Bell County JobSight job fair for Bell County Coal, held Jan. 21 at Southeast Community and Technical College in Middlesboro.Bell County Coal officials said they were pleasantly surprised at the unexpectedly large turnout..."Click here to read more.

[January 2009] "If you enjoyed a ham at one of your recent holiday dinners, there is a good chance it came from a Middlesboro instititution. Cumberland Gap Provision Company has been providing quality pork products since it was founded in..."Click here to read more.

Local Jobseekers Get ‘Certified’ for Work with New Program

[December 2008] "Pike County JobSight officials had reason to celebrate recently as a new job-preparedness program got off to a solid start with a 100-percent pass rate for the first class.So they threw a party, including cake, for the..." Click

Consortium Brings Area Healthcare Providers Together to Deliver Training

[November 2008] "Nine eastern Kentucky healthcare providers are finding that there is strength in unity, even in their highly competitive industry. The companies have joined together in an innovative workforce-development-driven training consortium that will help them more efficiently train about 60 employees in medical coding ..." Click here to read more.

Pike County JobSight Job Fair Draws Hopefuls for Mining Careers

[October 2008] "A top official with Excel Mining said he is 'totally satisfied'with a job fair that drew about 40 hopefuls for mining jobs with the company to the Pike County JobSight workforce center recently. 'I was well pleased with the turnout,' Elmer Howard ..." Click here to read more.

Nearly 300 Tour Success Xpress During Hazard's Black Gold Festival

[October 2008] "During Hazard's 2008 Black Gold Festival, nearly 300 people climbed aboard and toured Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc.’s (EKCEP) Success Xpress, a specially modified mobile mining training facility built into a 53-foot truck trailer ..." Click here to read more

Event Draws 161 People Seeking Jobs With Jackson Co. Manufacturers

[September 2008] "About 161 residents of Jackson and Clay counties submitted applications and spoke to employers at a job fair hosted by the Clay County JobSight workforce center and Daniel Boone Community Action Agency (Daniel Boone CAA) in partnership with the Jackson County Board of Education’s Transition Unit ..." Click

Perry JobSight Job Fairs Draw Hundreds Seeking Underground Mining Jobs

[September 2008] "The Perry County JobSight workforce center has proven itself an effective matchmaker in bringing both of those sides together for several key members of the area’s coal industry. Since April, about 450 applicants have attended job fairs hosted by JobSight for several local coal companies ..." Click here to read more.

Tax-Preparation Effort Brings More Than $3M in Refunds Back to Taxpayers

[September 2008] "Intense interest in federal economic stimulus checks helped boost local economies by pumping more than $3 million in refund dollars back into the region after an unprecedented number of taxpayers in seven counties took advantage of a an annual free tax preparation effort offered by the Eastern Kentucky Asset Building Collaboration (EKABC) ..." Click here to read more.

Training Supplemented By EKCEP Helping Combat EMT Shortage

[August 2008] "In the battle to save lives after an accident or sudden illness, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are the front-line soldiers. Riding on ambulances, stabilizing and providing basic first aid to patients, the EMT is likely to provide the first and sometimes most important medical care a patient receives. Unfortunately, the Big Sandy area is experiencing a shortage of these critical personnel ..." Click here to read more.

Bell-Whitley WIA Youth Program's New Murals Beautify Downtown Pineville

[August 2008] "Some Bell County teens are spending their summer bringing a bit of color and a window to a world of natural beauty to downtown Pineville. The teens are helping paint a 700-square-foot nature scene on the side of the building that houses the Bell-Whitley Community Action Agency’s Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Program ..." Click here to read more.

Ronald McDonald House Gets Custom Playhouse Thanks to Bell Teens

[August 2008] "Teens participating in the Bell-Whitley Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Program recently got a chance to help provide a little happiness to children and their families during a time they could definitely use it. As a summer project, four youth program participants helped build a playhouse to be used by children visiting the Ronald McDonald House in Lexington ... " Click here to read more.

New PLC Training Units Make Success Xpress More Effective for Mines

[July 2008] "Most every major automated operation at a coal mine, tipple, or preparation plant relies upon the use of Programmable Logic Controllers, or PLCs. Now, eastern Kentucky miners can safely train to program PLCs and perform these essential technical tasks thanks to the Success Xpress, a mobile training facility built into a 53-foot truck trailer ... " Click here to read more.

EKCEP, JobSight Helping Longtime Bell Co. Business Fund Key Training

[July 2008] "During four generations of family ownership, Middlesboro-based J.R. Hoe and Sons has secured the placement of its foundry and metal fabrication products in locations around the nation. With help from EKCEP, the company is training employees to use cutting-edge new equipment that will help it continue to thrive in the global marketplace for a second century ... " Click here to read more.

EKCEP Mourns the Loss of WIB Member Finley Begley

[July 2008] "Finley F. Begley, a longtime member of the EKCEP Workforce Investment Board (WIB), died Wednesday, July 9, at the Hazard ARH Hospital. He was 78 ... " Click here to read more.

Training Collaboration Assists Floyd Telecommunications Company

[July 2008] "A collaborative training program supplemented by the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP) has brought needed training to one of the region’s largest telecommunications companies that officials credit with reducing turnover, improving customer service, and building a more committed workforce ... " Click here to read more.

Big Sandy Employers Pleased With Triple-Digit Turnout at JobSight Job Fair

[June 2008] "Employers and event organizers said Monday’s job fair at the Pike County JobSight workforce center exceeded all expectations by attracting nearly 200 people seeking jobs with 26 of the Big Sandy region’s top employers ... " Click here to read more.

Third Class of GCDF Graduates Recognized at Ceremony

[May 2008] "People must be willing to push their limits, build new skills, and tackle challenging tasks in order to become experts in their chosen careers. The 20 workforce professionals who recently became the latest graduates of the Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) program have proven they are willing to take those steps ... " Click here to read more.

James River Coal Officials Pleased With JobSight Job Fair

[April 2008] "About 114 people—including both experienced and inexperienced miners—attended a one-day JobSight job fair vying for underground coal mining jobs at James River Coal Company’s Leeco and Blue Diamond mines in Perry, Knott, and Leslie counties ... " Click here to read more.

WIA Helps Johnny Napier Become Physical Therapist

[February 2008] "The hard knocks Johnny Napier and his teammates received during four years of high school football spurred the Harlan County native to consider a career as a physical therapist even as a teen. Years later, Johnny says his desire to help others in need gives him an even greater appreciation of the help he received through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) program ... " Click here to read more.

Jeff Whitehead Named New EKCEP Executive Director

[January 2008] "Jeff Whitehead, an 18-year employee of the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP), has been tapped to lead the Hazard-based workforce development agency as its new executive director. Whitehead replaces Mable Duke, who retired from the agency’s top post effective Dec. 31, 2007 ... " Click here to read more.

Mable Duke Retires as EKCEP Executive Director After 22-Year Career

[January 2008] "Mable Duke has retired as executive director of the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP) following a highly successful, 22-year tenure with the Hazard-based workforce agency. Duke’s years of service are marked by innovation, achievement, and repeated statewide and national recognition for EKCEP ... " Click here to read more.

JobSight Helping Perry Coal Company Find New Miners, Expand Operations

[January 2008] "The Perry County JobSight workforce center recently aided expansion efforts by TECO Coal by hosting a job fair that attracted more than 100 people seeking underground mining jobs with the company. TECO officials are crediting the successful turnout with helping the company remain on pace to expand its Perry County operations by early spring ... " Click here to read more.

Chair of EKCEP Workforce Board Published in Statewide Magazine

[November 2007] "State Rep. Rocky Adkins—who also chairs Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program's (EKCEP) Workforce Investment Board (WIB)—was recently published in the statewide Kentucky Farm Bureau News magazine ... " Click here to read more.

JobSight Helping Workers Rebound From Closure of Mid-South Electronics

[October 2007] "Rick Hundley was only a few months shy of his five-year anniversary at Mid-South Electronics when he and about 400 others lost their jobs when the Jackson County plant closed. Hundley now considers the layoff “a blessing in disguise” because of the guidance and assistance he received through the JobSight workforce network that helped him transition into a new career ... " Click here to read more.

EKCEP Honored Before U.S. Senate, Ky. House for National USDOL Award

[September 2007] "EKCEP has been publicly recognized before both the U.S. Senate and the Kentucky House of Representatives for garnering a national award for its success in addressing the workforce needs of eastern Kentucky's coal industry ... " Click here to read more.

More Than 100 Pike County Coal Miners Train on Success Xpress

[September 2007] "More than 100 miners with the McCoy Elkhorn Coal Company enhanced their skills by using some of the industry’s most state-of-the-art training tools aboard the Success Xpress. As Success Xpress concluded a two-week stay at McCoy Elkhorn’s Pike County mines, Safety Coordinator Gary Lockhart said he considers the training stop a great success ... " Click here to read more.

Buckhorn Officials Pleased with Results of JobSight Job Fair

[August 2007] "Officials with Buckhorn Children and Family Services are pleased with the applicants who turned out for a job fair at the Perry County JobSight workforce center seeking skilled positions with the agency ... " Click here to read more.

EKCEP's Coal Services Program Garners National Award from USDOL

[August 2007] "The Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP) has received a national award for its success in helping address the workforce needs of eastern Kentucky’s coal industry ... " Click here to read more.

NEKACC WIA Youth Program Inspires Community With Veterans' Mural

[August 2007] "A summer project launched by the Northeast Kentucky Community Action Agency's Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Transition Program has created a lasting, public memorial honoring the sacrifice of American servicemen and women ... " Click here to read more.

KCEOC Job Fair Attracts More Than 100 Seeking High-Tech Jobs

[August 2007] "Employers and event organizers were pleased that about 120 people attended a recent job fair in Barbourville seeking employment with five of the area’s top technology-based call centers ... " Click here to read more.

Collaborative Training Effort Helps Annville Plant Jumpstart Operations

[August 2007] "A collaborative training effort supplemented by the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP) is helping a Jackson County manufacturing plant jumpstart its operations by building a culture of economy and versatility among its employees ... " Click here to read more.

Harlan Miners Get High-Tech Training Aboard Success Xpress

[August 2007] "Nearly 30 underground coal miners and electricians with the Harlan-Cumberland Coal Company have learned new skills using some of the industry’s most high-tech training equipment aboard the Success Xpress, a mobile training facility built into a 53-foot truck trailer ... " Click here to read more.

EKCEP, JobSight Officials Pleased With Turnout at Regional Job Fair

[July 2007] "Nearly 200 people seeking jobs with employers in Clay, Jackson, Knox, and Laurel counties turned up for a July 12 job fair in Manchester ... " Click here to read more.

Students Experience Appalachian Culture in NEKACC WIA Youth Activity

[June 2007] "What do flint knapping, circle dancing, quilting, and fishing have in common? All are integral pieces of eastern Kentucky’s cultural fabric. For two days in June, 37 young people from Carter, Elliott, and Lawrence counties immersed themselves in these and other traditional Appalachian activities at an “Appalachian Adventure” at Jenny Wiley State Park ... " Click here to read more.

Jackson Countians Honored for Completing Computer Training Program

[June 2007] "Ten Jackson County residents were honored for completing 120 hours of basic computer training that will prepare them to succeed in today’s high-tech workplace ... " Click here to read more.

About 200 James River Coal Miners Train on Success Xpress in Perry County

[June 2007] "About 200 underground coal miners and electricians at James River Coal Company’s two Perry County subsidiaries learned new skills using some of the industry’s most high-tech training equipment aboard the Success Xpress. The Success Xpress spent a week training miners at the company’s Leeco mine at Jeff, and an additional week at the Blue Diamond mine at Leatherwood ... " Click here to read more.

Prestigious GCDF Certification Presented to 20 JobSight Career Advisers

[May 2007] "The prestigious Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) certification was presented to 20 career advisers who work in the JobSight workforce network at a graduation ceremony held May 12. The career advisers earned the nationally recognized certification through more than 120 hours of intensive training and personal study during the 10-month GCDF training course. The class was the second to take advantage of GCDF training provided through EKCEP, which ... " Click here to read more.

Perry Countians Build Financial Skills at Fourth Annual Economic Summit

[May 2007] "Tax refunds of more than $2 million will be received by more than 1,600 eastern Kentucky taxpayers this year thanks to the fourth consecutive successful effort of the Eastern Kentucky Asset Building Collaboration (EKABC), a multi-agency cooperative effort bolstered by the involvement of the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP) and its JobSight network of workforce centers. The results were announced at the outset of the fourth annual Eastern Kentucky Economic Summit ... " Click here to read more.

Nearly 50 Applicants Turn Out for Lowe's Job Fair at Perry JobSight

[May 2007] "Lowe's Home Improvement officials were pleased that its May 3 job fair at the Perry County JobSight attracted nearly 50 people seeking seasonal employment at the Hazard Lowe's store ... " Click here to read more.

Success Xpress Makes Stop at MSHA District Office in Barbourville

[May 2007] "The Success Xpress mobile coal miner training facility rolled into the District Seven office of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) in Barbourville last week to give representatives of the federal regulatory agency a look at some of the coal industry's most advanced training simulators ... " Click here to read more.

Jr. Coal Academy Students Get 'Hands-On' Experience on Success Xpress

[April 2007] "Though still in high school, Brandon Smith got a taste of what it is like to operate one of the most crucial pieces of equipment in underground coal mining this week, thanks to the computer simulator aboard the Success Xpress mobile training facility ... " Click here to read more.

UPS Uses JobSight to Recruit Graduating Seniors for Louisville Jobs

[March 2007] "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 ... " Click here to read more.

Collaborative Training Effort Helps Barbourville Factory Get 'Lean'

[March 2007] "A collaborative training effort supplemented by the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP) is helping a Barbourville manufacturing plant get “leaner” and remain successful in an increasingly competitive global economy ... " Click here to read more.

JobSight Helping WestCare Residents Get Back in Workforce After Treatment

[January 2007] "Jim Stewart, manager of the Pike County JobSight workforce center, is taking a personal role in helping residents of the WestCare substance abuse treatment facility get back in the workforce after completing treatment ... " Click here to read more.

JobSight Job Fair for Lowe's 'Exceeds All Expectations'

[January 2007] "Lowe’s Home Improvement officials said the turnout for its latest job fair at the Perry County JobSight “exceeded all expectations” by attracting nearly 80 people vying for job opportunities in the region’s Lowe’s stores ... " Click here to read more.

Gov. Ernie Fletcher Presents EKCEP $400,000 in WIA Funds

[December 2006] "Governor Ernie Fletcher presented $400,000 in statewide reserve funds to EKCEP during a visit to Hazard on Dec. 14. EKCEP will use the funds to provide expanded employer-specific workforce training in its 23-county service region ... " Click here to read more.

Governor, Education Secretary Tour 'Success Xpress' Mobile Training Unit

[December 2006] "Governor Ernie Fletcher got a firsthand look at the future of coal miner training in eastern Kentucky on Dec. 14 when he climbed aboard the "Success XPress," EKCEP's new custom-built, state-of-the-art mobile training unit ... " Click here to read more.

Graduate of Coal Careers Program Seeing Success in New Mining Career

[November 2006] "About 10 months ago, Mark McKenzie’s plans didn’t include building a home, but they did include escaping the fast-food industry and the limited opportunities it provided. Mark chose to pursue training for a mining career by enrolling in the Coal Careers Program ... " Click here to read more.

Perry JobSight Helps Iraq Veteran Start New Business, New Life

[November 2006] "Jason Combs walked into the Perry County JobSight workforce center in April battle-scarred, depressed, and out of work. He walked out with a positive outlook and the tools he needed to launch his own business ... " Click here to read more.

James River Miners Get Emergency Training at Perry County JobSight

[October 2006] "Coal miner Wade Coots is unresponsive, lying flat on his back. Fellow miner Lou Mills hurries to his side, quickly crouches beside him and listens for a heartbeat. In a mine emergency, the assessment Mills is performing can help determine how critically a miner is injured. But this time, it is only practice ... " Click here to read more.

Opportunities 'Cooking' on West Coast for Clay County Native

[September 2006] "Chef Michelle Harris was back in her hometown of Manchester recently, but she didn't stay long. There were too many opportunities 'cooking' on the west coast ... " Click here to read more.

Students Earn Laptops by Participating in WIA Youth Transition Program

[September 2006] "A good laptop computer is important to succeeding in college today, but they are not cheap. That is why six college-bound high school seniors jumped at the opportunity when the WIA Youth Transition Program at the Bell County JobSight recently offered each of them a laptop valued at $1,000 ... " Click here to read more.

Coal Careers Program Graduates Second Class of Coal Miners

[September 2006] "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 that is supplemented by funding from EKCEP ... " Click here to read more.

EKCEP CDL Training Program Helps Floyd Company Expand

[September 2006] "Michael Tackett was stuck in a cycle of dead-end construction jobs. At the same time, Universal Well Service in Floyd County was unable to find enough trained drivers to expand its drilling operations to meet today's increased demand for natural gas ... " Click here to read more.

U.S. Dept. of Labor, UK Websites Feature April Perkins' Success Story

[August 2006] "The story of how EKCEP and Workforce Investment Act (WIA) programs helped Morgan County R.N. April Perkins overcome her daughter's cancer and financial struggles to complete her nursing studies is now featured on national and statewide on-line news outlets ... " Click here to read more.

JobSight Helping Drug Court Participants Get Back in Workforce

[August 2006] "One of the primary functions of the JobSight network is helping eastern Kentuckians prepare to enter or re-enter the workforce. A partnership between JobSight and courts in Perry and Knott counties is now helping participants ... " Click here to read more.

First Graduates of Coal Careers Program Get Jobs in Coal Industry

[July 2006] "Dean Baldwin had worked stints at several jobs before deciding to look for a job mining coal. Baldwin's path into the coal industry became much easier after he was accepted into the Coal Careers Program ... " Click here to read more.

State Awards 'Education at Work' Scholarships to Eight Eastern Kentuckians

[July 2006]
"Kentucky has awarded $1,000 scholarships to four students who are participants in Workforce Investment Act (WIA) programs administered by the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP) ... " Click here to read more.

JobSight Career Advisers Earn Prestigious GCDF Certification

[May 2006]
The prestigious Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) certification has been earned by 18 career advisers who work in the JobSight network ... Click here to read more.

JobSight Job Fair Draws 150 Seeking Coal Careers with CONSOL

[May 2006]
The Perry County JobSight did its part to ensure that CONSOL of Kentucky--one of the region's top coal producers--finds the manpower it needs to keep up with the escalating demand for coal ... Click here to read more.

Regional Lowe's Job Fair Brings in More than 100 Job Seekers to Perry JobSight

[April 2006]
The Perry County JobSight did its part to ensure that CONSOL of Kentucky--one of the region's top coal producers--finds the manpower it needs to keep up with the escalating demand for coal ... Click here to read more.

Triple-Digit Turnout at JobSight Job Fair Pleases Lowe's Officials

[March 2006]
More than 100 people turned out to 'throw their hats in the ring' for job opportunities with the Hazard Lowe's home improvement warehouse at a day-long job fair at the Perry County JobSight ... Click here to read more.

Nearly 200 Attend JobSight Job Fair for Coal Careers with ICG

[March 2006]
Less than two hours into Perry County JobSight’s job fair for International Coal Group (ICG), the event already qualified as “a huge success,” according to Buddy Johnston, regional human resources manager for ICG’s Kentucky operations ... Click here to read more.

Employer Services Help James River Coal Find 'Star-Quality' Miners

[February 2006]
There is only one Michael Jordan, and he is a sports superstar, not a coal miner. But the James River Coal Company has discovered two employees who match Jordan's star quality, thanks to the employer services provided by EKCEP ... Click here to read more.

$3 Million Grant to Help Coal Industry Correct Shortage of Miners

[January 2006]
The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded a $3 million grant for training coal miners to EKCEP, Inc. and the West Kentucky Workforce Investment Board (WKWIB) ... Click here to read more.

JobFit Helping Nearly 10,000 Eastern Kentucky Job Seekers

[October 2005]
The JobFit on-line job-matching service provided by EKCEP is nearing the milestone of having 10,000 job seekers enrolled, lesss than two and one-half years after the service was introduced ... Click here to read more.

Marsha Ison Retires After 24-Year Career with EKCEP

[July 2004]
Many things have come and gone over the years at EKCEP; Marsha Ison has remained. After helping steer EKCEP successfully through numerous challenges for 24 years, Marsha's tenure with the agency will officially end when she retires on July 31. Marsha has worked under four different executive directors, and three different federal enabling statutes since 1979, when she ... Click here to read more.

Three EKCEP WIA Participants Win Ky. Department of Education Scholarships

[July 2004]
Three participants in Workforce Investment Act (WIA) programs administered by EKCEP were recently awarded 2004 Education at Work Scholarships from the Kentucky Department for Workforce Investment. Tonya Coffey, Shawana Slone, and Ronald Ruth were among 25 Kentuckians who received the scholarships at a July 15 ceremony at ... Click here to read more.

Ky. Treasurer Jonathan Miller Speaks at JobSight Economic Summit

[April 2004]
Kentucky Treasurer Jonathan Miller spoke in Hazard on Wednesday, April 1, at a daylong series of free financial seminars held at the Perry County JobSight at the L.K.L.P. Community Action Council near Hazard. The economic summit was part of Miller’s “Enriching Kentucky” program, which helps people develop practical financial skills needed to thrive in today’s economy. “Out of all the [summits] we’ve done so far, this one's ... Click here to read more.

EKCEP Board Chairman Roger "Tucker" Daniel Inducted into Hall of Fame

[March 2004]
Roger T. "Tucker" Daniel was inducted into the Fifth District Lincoln Club's Hall of Fame. This honor places Daniel—who is judge-executive of Johnson County and chairman of the EKCEP Board of Directors—in the company of many past and present Kentucky political luminaries, including the late Gov. Louie B. Nunn, legendary Sen. John Sherman Cooper ... Click here to read more.

Report Recognizes Carol Miller for Success Attained Through Bell JobSight

[March 2004]
The story of an eastern Kentucky woman who transcended age and crippling disability to find employment is featured on the cover of "The Power of Experience," the national 2003 annual report report of Experience Works, one of the nation’s longest-standing senior-service agencies ... Click here to read more.

Paintsville Mayors Help "Success NSight" Youth Prepare for the Workforce

[February 2004]
Jack Limle had already thought about a medical career before he met Paintsville Mayor Doug Pugh this week. At that meeting, Pugh gave Jack and seven other young Johnson County job seekers more than 45,000 reasons why a medical career might be a good idea ... Click here to read more.

Free Tax Preparation and EITC Help Available to Perry Countians

[January 2004]
Free tax preparation and help filing for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) are being offered to Perry County residents this tax season, through a multi-agency effort funded by a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation ... Click here to read more.

EKCEP Participants and Front-Line Staff Earn Workforce Awards

[November 2003]
The Kentucky Cabinet for Workforce Development presented 2003 Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Awards for outstanding achievement to three former participants in EKCEP programs and an EKCEP staff member. 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. Dinah Campbell was presented the WIA Excellence in Customer Service award for her work as EKCEP Rapid Response Team coordinator ... Click here to read more.

The Wall Street Journal Features JobSight and a WIA Alumnus on the Front Page

[October 2003]
The successes of EKCEP’s JobSight one-stop workforce centers were featured on Page One of the Monday, October 13, edition of The Wall Street Journal. The Wall Street Journal story details how one-stop centers like those in the JobSight network can have a positive impact on the ... Click here to read more.

"Success NSight" Prepares Teens for the Workforce

[September 2003]
Eight young adults from three eastern Kentucky counties are positioning themselves to enter the job market by participating in “Success NSight,” an innovative program that delivers intensive training in several helpful skills for young job seekers. "Success NSight” participants are getting rapid lessons in job-interviewing skills, saving and managing money, and developing and demonstrating the basic job skills that ... Click here to read more.

"Transition Unit" Helps Young People Get Back on the Path to Education

[August 2003]
As he flunked assignments and tests in English, U.S. history, and other classes at Jackson County High School, Jeremy Gibson began thinking that dropping out was the unavoidable next step in his string of failures. Look at Jeremy these days, though, and you’ll see a confident 18-year-old who fought back from the brink to earn his high school diploma. That achievement was made possible by the “Transition Unit,” an innovative youth initiative created through a partnership between the Jackson County Board of Education, EKCEP, and the Daniel Boone Development Council ... Click here to read more.

Community Input Helps EKCEP WIB Begin Drafting Strategic Plan

[August 2003]
The economic landscape of eastern Kentucky is changing more rapidly now than ever before, and more than 60 leaders in workforce development, private business, education and government got the chance on Aug. 6 to help EKCEP decide howworkforce-related services in the region should change along with it. The leaders expressed those views at a day-long strategic planning session hosted by EKCEP and .... Click here to read more.

Youth Project Gathers Oral History in Carter County

[August 2003]
Vanessa Mitchell and Susan Watkins listened with rapt attention as Esta McCleese shared with them her wealth of memories of the Great Depression of the 1930s. As the 92-year-old spoke in the living room of her home near Olive Hill, an audio recorder and digital video camera captured her recollections as the teens took notes and asked .... Click here to read more.

U.S. Senate Hears Testimony about JobSight Network, Promising Practices

[June 2003]
A U.S. Senate subcommittee learned about promising practices in the JobSight network during testimony about WIA one-stop centers on June 18. The Pike County JobSight was one of 14 exemplary one-stop centers nationwide selected for examination by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO), which conducted the study at the request of Sen. Ted Kennedy, Rep. John Boehner, and Rep. Howard McKeon. While in eastern Kentucky, GAO analysts studied accomplishments of several JobSight comprehensive centers, including.... Click here to read more.

Summit Helps EKCEP Plan the Future of Workforce Development

[June 2003]
More than 50 leaders in workforce development, private business, and state and local government from across the region gathered June 23-24 in Berea to help the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP) shape the future of workforce-related services for nearly one-half million eastern Kentuckians. EKCEP organized the “Workforce Challenge Summit” to compile ideas about the best ways to match the job training, placement, and employer services provided through its JobSight network of workforce centers to the challenges of .... Click here to read more.

Grand Opening of Adkins Elliott County Public Library and JobSight

[May 2003]
A large contingent of state and local officials and townspeople gathered in Sandy Hook recently tocelebrate the official grand opening of the new 8,100-square-foot, $1.4 million Rocky J. Adkins Elliott County Public Library .... Click here to read more.

"Career Basics" Workshops Teach Overlooked Skills to Job Seekers

[March 2003]
Sometimes, it is “the little things” that stand between job seekers and the jobs they want. Most job seekers undervalue knowledge like how to fill out a job application, how to craft an appealing resume, how to write an impressive cover letter, and how to be calm, confident and prepared in a job interview, even though these skills can sometimes compensate for undistinguished credentials. The “Career Basics” program offered at the Pike County JobSight gives local residents a chance to .... Click here to read more.

Businesspeople Help Youth in EKCEP Pilot Program Get Ready to Work

[March 2003]
Sharon Branham knows a thing or two about hiring people. Branham, the founder of the Pike County Hospice and Home Care agency, recently shared inside tips and strategies for job seekers with six local young people who are participating in a new initiative launched by EKCEP. Branham was one of six business and community leaders who spoke to the youth in the pilot project—called "Success NSight"—that began in mid-January at ... Click here to read more.

Santa Gets Help from WIA Youth Program and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

[December 2002]
About 250 Bell County children had a brighter Christmas this holiday season, thanks to the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Program at the Bell County JobSight at Bell-Whitley Community Action Agency (CAA) in Pineville. On two consecutive days in late December, WIA staffers accompanied Santa Claus to elementary schools in Middlesboro and Pineville to distribute ... Click here to read more.

EKCEP Participants, Partnership, and Front-Line Staff Earn Statewide Awards

[November 2002]
The Kentucky Cabinet for Workforce Development recently presented awards for outstanding achievement to two former participants in EKCEP programs, one staff member, and a partnership which brought a new factory to eastern Kentucky. The awards were presented on November 20 at the 2002 Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Awards Luncheon in Frankfort... Click here to read more.

State Honors EKCEP/JobSight Partnership that Attracted Manufacturer to Eastern Kentucky

[November 2002]
The Kentucky Cabinet for Workforce Development recently presented an award for outstanding achievement to the multiagency partnership that brought a $20 million American Woodmark Corp. manufacturing facility and 260 new jobs to eastern Kentucky. ... Click here to read more.

Tammi Gorman Helps Employers, Earns a Statewide Award

[November 2002]
Tammi Gorman doesn't think a thing about working past quitting time. In fact, she really doesn't know what it's like to shut off the lights at 4:30 in the afternoon each day to head home. As the sun sets over the mountains beside the L.K.L.P. Community Action Council's headquarters near Hazard, Tammi is often still working the phone, staying in touch with local employers to try to secure on-the-job training contracts for ... Click here to read more.

JobSight Staff Learn Ways to Address Disability Issues

[November 2002]
More than 100 staff members from JobSight partner agencies learned the most up-to-date techniques of accommodating individuals with disabilities by attending a trio of intensive workshops hosted recently by EKCEP. The workshops—entitled “Widening Our Doors”—gave JobSight personnel detailed explanations of... Click here to read more.

U.S. GAO Studies Promising Practices at EKCEP's JobSight Centers

[October 2002]
The Eastern Kentucky C.E.P., Inc. (EKCEP) JobSight one-stop system was honored to be chosen as part of a survey of WIA promising practices conducted by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO). JobSight was one of only 13 one-stops selected from across the nation for the survey ...Click here to read more.

Ground is Broken for Lawrence Co. Comm. Development Building, JobSight

[October 2002]
State and local officials and business leaders broke ground in Louisa on October 18 for the 24,000-square-foot Lawrence County Fiscal Court Community Development Building that will house, among other things, the Lawrence County JobSight ...Click here to read more.

National Labor Officials, State and Local Leaders Laud Pike County JobSight

[September 2002]
The Pike County JobSight operated by EKCEP, Inc. was recognized by U.S. Dept. of Labor (DOL) officials as one of the premier one-stop workforce centers in the southeast during the "JobSight Jubilee" that concluded the Pike County "JobSight Awareness Day" celebration ...Click here to read more.

Clay JobSight Awareness Day Promotes Services with Broadcast, Fish Fry

[September 2002]
Hundreds of Clay Countians got a firsthand look at the variety of free services available to both employers and job seekers at the Clay County JobSight on "JobSight Awareness Day," held ... Click here to read more.

Bell County JobSight Awareness Day Highlights Free Services

[August 2002]
Bell Countians got an all-access pass to the array of free services available to both employers and job seekers at EKCEP's Bell County JobSight as part of "JobSight Awareness Day" ... Click here to read more.

Dept. of Labor Selects Pike County JobSight as a Model One-Stop Center

[July 2002]
EKCEP's Pike County JobSight has been honored by the United States Dept. of Labor (DOL) as one of six model one-stop centers in the eight-state southeast region. DOL sent a crew to Pikeville in May to film JobSight operations and ... Click here to read more.

Perry JobSight Goes "On The Air" to Raise Awareness of One-Stop Services

[July 2002]
EKCEP's Perry County JobSight hosted a live radio remote broadcast for two hours on July 1 as a part of its "JobSight Awareness Day" event. JobSight staff members, program participants, partner program administrators, and employers who have used JobSight services took turns speaking to the listening public about ... Click here to read more.

66 Access Points Join the JobSight Service Network

[February 2002]
EKCEP’s JobSight service delivery network continues to grow rapidly as 66 sites have applied to join the network as Access Points for JobSight services. The addition of these Access Points will greatly increase the ease with which job seekers and employers throughout the 23-county EKCEP Workforce Investment Area can access the services of all the JobSight partners ... Click here to read more.

$20 Million Plant Will Bring 230 Jobs to Eastern Kentucky

[October 2001]
American Woodmark Corporation plans to build a $20 million manufacturing facility in near Hazard which will create 260 new jobs. The employee-training package offered by EKCEP was one of the key components in the package of incentives which attracted American Woodmark to locate in eastern Kentucky. The new 220,000-square-foot manufacturing facility will be ... Click here to read more.

EKCEP Programs and Participants Recognized with Statewide Awards

[November 2001]
Gov. Paul Patton and the Kentucky Cabinet for Workforce Development recently presented awards for excellence to one EKCEP program and two former participants in EKCEP programs. The awards were presented on October 25 at ... Click here to read more.

Student Artists' Mural Brings 'Wall-to-Wall' Culture to Bell County JobSight

[August 2001]
Downtown Pineville now has a full-color, two-story reminder of the good things about life in Bell County, thanks to eight local high school students and the summer component of the Eastern Kentucky C.E.P., Inc. (EKCEP) youth program. The students have painted a mural representing their county’s local culture ... Click here to read more.

Pikeville Partners Define Their Roles in Providing Core and Intensive Services

[March 2001]
Partners in the Pikeville JobSight took a giant step toward defining their roles within that one-stop center at a two-day self-selection workshop led by a nationally recognized consultant. The workshop was organized and underwritten by Eastern Kentucky C.E.P., Inc. (EKCEP) in its role as one-stop operator ... Click here to read more.