By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) President Ryan Quarles has kicked off his Focus on the Future statewide tour, with stops being planned at all 16 community colleges.
“With current workforce shortages and an enrollment cliff looming, it’s imperative that KCTCS lives up to its promise of being the biggest workforce development tool in Kentucky’s toolbox,” said Quarles. “A key part of that process is having local conversations about retraining workers, attracting new companies to our state, and making sure we are meeting the regional needs of our current employers.”
KCTCS President Ryan Quarles
Quarles has already completed tours in Owensboro and Madisonville, and he has two more stops planned this week. He is at Hazard Community and Technical College (HCTC) March Tuesday and Wednesday, then Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC) on Thursday, March 15.
At Hazard, Quarles will attend a reception sponsored by the Primary Care Centers of Eastern Kentucky, along with KCTCS Chair Barry Martin who is the CEO of Primary Care Centers, and HCTC President Jennifer Lindon. He’ll also attend a meeting with the local chamber board and business leaders, in addition to other stops.
At JCTC, Quarles will participate in an open forum with faculty and staff, a walking tour of campus, followed by a community luncheon and a meeting with JCTC leadership.
Here are more college visits planned, while others are still being finalized.
• Bluegrass Community and Technical College, April 19.
• Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, April 15.
• Gateway Community and Technical College, April 1.
• Henderson Community College, April 9.
• Hopkinsville Community College, April 25.
• Maysville Community and Technical College, April 26.
• Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College, April 16.
• West Kentucky Community and Technical College, April 10-11.
“I’m really excited with the opportunity to meet with leadership, faculty and staff, business leaders, and most importantly our students,” Quarles stated. “I want to hear their concerns and what we can improve on, but I also want to learn about emerging opportunities that will advance partnerships, innovations and solutions for workforce and economic development across Kentucky.”
With an annual enrollment of 101,000 students, KCTCS is the state’s largest provider of workforce training, dual credit classes and online education, serving 44% of the state’s public higher education undergraduates.
