The head of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System says KCTCS can play a significant role in addressing a workforce shortage. Ryan Quarles presented his case to Lexington Rotarians on Thursday.
With 112,000 students taking classes at the Commonwealth’s 16 community and technical colleges, KCTCS President Quarles said that amounts to the largest higher education entity in the state. And Quarles said that education footprint reflects a lot of degrees.
“KCTCS educates 44% of all undergraduates in the state of Kentucky period. And that includes our privates and our eight publics as well,” said Quarles.
Quarles admits there are higher ed challenges. He cited a declining college-going rate in Kentucky along with a national birth-rate drop during the 2008 recession, and that means fewer college-age eligible students overall.
Ryan Quarles said he’s seen non-traditional student success in his family. Quarles and Bluegrass Community and Technical College President Greg Feeney both spoke to the Rotary Club. Quarles said his mother taught nursing students for 30 years at Kentucky State University. Then she went back to school to get a PhD in her 40’s.
“And shortly before she passed away she finished her PHD and both her and I graduated at the University of Kentucky on the same day and got to walk across the stage together. She inspired me to go on and get that terminal degree as well,” said Quarles.
Quarles told club members a third of students in the KCTCS system are still in high school, a third are high school grads, and a third are non-traditional students age 25 and above. He said students are earning good salaries such as starting at $50,000 with a commercial driver's license or maybe $70,000 as a utility line worker.
** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.
