KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Eastern Kentucky C.E.P. Inc., Hazard, Ky., today received the U.S. Department of Labor’s Recognition of Excellence award in the “e3 Partnerships” category at the national 2007 Workforce Innovations Conference being held in Kansas City. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco presented the fourth annual honors, which recognize workforce investment system programs from around the country that have achieved outstanding success.
The Labor Department’s Employment and Training Administration presents Recognition of Excellence awards in five categories. The “e3 Partnerships” category honors projects that demonstrate sustained partnerships among employment, education and economic development.
“Our honorees have shown that they are innovative leaders in providing workers with the opportunities and tools to help them compete in today’s global economy,” said DeRocco. “Their outstanding work serves as a model for others to learn from and apply to their own regional economic and talent development strategies.”
A workforce crisis caused by rising demand for coal and a shortage of specialty and supervisory workers led to the creation of the Eastern Kentucky C.E.P. Coal Services Program.
To provide training while minimizing production time loss, a high-tech mobile training classroom named Success Xpress was built inside a 53-foot tractor trailer. The unit was outfitted with a virtual reality mining simulator, advanced distance-learning technology capabilities, a computer lab, an electrical panel for hands-on training and wireless Internet access.
Through May of this year, Success Xpress has served more than 3,777 participants, trained 923 incumbent workers and 250 new miners, and provided 525 working miners with safety training.
The Workforce Innovations Conference provides an annual opportunity for state and local government representatives, private sector workforce and economic development officials, and educators to collaborate on workforce issues.
