RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), an East Kentucky partner of Shaping Our Appalachian Region, Inc. (SOAR), was recently awarded $1.4 million from the Appalachian Regional Commission’s POWER (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce Economic Revitalization) grant program to establish the Kentucky Appalachia Aviation Maintenance Technician Training program.

The 18-month program will launch in January 2020 and will be taught on campuses at Big Sandy Community and Technical College, Hazard Community and Technical College, and the Manchester, Corbin, and Richmond campuses of EKU.

Upper-level courses will be taught at the following regional airports: Wendell F. Ford Regional Airport (Hazard), Big Sandy Regional Airport (Inez), London-Corbin Airport, and Central Kentucky Regional Airport (Richmond).

Jared Arnett, executive director of SOAR, said this project is an example of the collaboration needed to bring high-tech training opportunities to rural parts of Appalachia Kentucky.

“I commend Dr. [Michael] Benson and the leadership at EKU for developing this program and utilizing the community colleges and regional airports to bring this training to various communities,” said Arnett. “Aviation is big business in other parts of the state, and this program will serve as a tool to recruit these types of businesses to invest in Appalachia Kentucky and our highly-skilled workforce.”

To read more about the grant announcement, check out this article from the Richmond Register.