High-tech training for can-do people
Eastern Kentucky program transforms lives, fills employment gap
In the heart of eastern Kentucky, where coal mining once served as the economic lifeblood of many communities, a training initiative is bridging the gap between new high-tech manufacturers setting up shop there and the local workforce that needs the skills to get their jobs.
That initiative, Paintsville-based eKentucky Advanced Manufacturing Institute, or eKAMI, was founded in 2017 by Kathy Walker, who was raised in Lexington and graduated from the University of Kentucky. She relocated to eastern Kentucky from the Washington, D.C. area in 1986 following a successful career in the banking and coal industries. As a longtime member of the National Coal Council, a federal advisory committee to the United States energy secretary, Walker was acutely aware of the structural changes and challenges affecting fossil fuels. She saw those impacts firsthand living in Paintsville, where she and her husband raised their two children.
“The industry had taken a turn for the worse, and it totally decimated these communities in Appalachia,” Walker says. “Coal mining had been the economic engine for this region for generations, and when the bottom fell out, it not only took the mining jobs but also many restaurants, beauty shops and other small businesses that supported the community.”
Instead of focusing on courting new businesses and plants, as previous efforts have done with uneven results, Walker chose to tackle the region’s economic challenges by equipping individuals with the skills they need to succeed in modern manufacturing. This approach aims to prepare workers not for factory-line jobs but for well-paid positions with benefits and career advancement opportunities.
“We have so many talented, industrious and innovative people here,” Walker says. “I think, as an outsider, I saw even more clearly the strengths and incredible raw skills these people possess. They’re can-do kind of people.
“I did some research, and I thought if we could overcome the educational hurdle—bringing people up to speed on geometry, trigonometry and fractions— this would be a great fit.”
With financial backing from Gene Haas, founder and president of computer numerical control machine tool manufacturer Haas Automation, Walker and her supporters renovated a 40,000-square-foot building into a state-of-the-art workforce development center. The center focuses on training in advanced manufacturing skills, particularly computer numerical control machining, robotics and quality inspection.
Workplace skills, technical and soft
eKAMI offers both five- and 10-month programs, blending technical skills with soft skills like communication, financial management and professionalism. Graduates earn industry-recognized credentials, including those from the National Institute of Metalworking Skills, preparing them for careers in industries like aerospace, robotics, construction and automotive manufacturing.
The program also emphasizes workplace traits such as accountability, interpersonal communication skills and punctuality. “It’s a very intense program—not for the meek,” Walker says. “You get two tardies, and you’re out.”
eKAMI operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with federal funding, and qualifying students pay no tuition to participate. Since graduating its first class in 2018, more than 300 students, ranging in age from 18 to 65, have completed the program, with a 100% job placement rate. Walker says starting salaries average in the mid-$60,000 range, with full benefits. “We have employers standing in line to hire from this little place here in the center of Appalachia,” she says.
eKAMI’s innovative and unconventional approach to workforce development has garnered national attention, positioning it as a successful model for transforming Appalachia through education and skills training. Representatives from the White House, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard, Yale, the University of Southern California, international dignitaries and others have visited, Walker says.
While the positive attention is gratifying, it’s the personal impact on graduates’ lives that leaves the deepest impression, Walker says.
In a recent video for the organization, Michael Cockerham, surrounded by his smiling family at his eKAMI graduation, says, “I want to leave a legacy of hope and inspiration. I want my kids to be proud of me because I’m proud of myself. All you have to do is take the first step in the right direction and keep trying.”
His video testimonial is even more meaningful as it includes an earlier interview with him—a week after his release from prison, where he served 17 years of a 20-year sentence for armed robbery. Cockerham now works for a Fortune 500 company.
This kind of impact often spans generations. Walker mentions several participants whose sons, uncles, cousins or friends have also graduated from the program. Employers are taking note.
MiR Robots, a Georgetown-based plant that makes autonomous mobile robots for commercial applications, hired two graduates from eKAMI’s most recent class.
“These guys take real pride in their work and are driven to improve their lives,” says Tharan Green, a MiR field service manager who supervises the graduates. “Their ability to be flexible is also a great asset.
“Finding people who want careers rather than just jobs is tough,” he says. “That’s the difference we’re seeing with these (eKAMI graduates)—their starting point is higher.”
Walker sums it up: “Our niche is people who just need an opportunity to advance and perfect the talent and skills they already possess.
“We need the engineers from the MITs and Carnegie Mellons who come up with these incredible inventions and technology, but what good is the technology if you can’t get it deployed and working on manufacturing floors? That’s our sweet spot. We’re the boots-on-the-ground people. The roll-up-your-sleeves and get-it-done people. That’s what we’re doing.”
Training program changes lives
Michael Cockerham is just one of the success stories of the Paintsville-based eKentucky Advanced Manufacturing Institute, or eKAMI. He tells his story in this video.
