KCTCS, KDE launch statewide ‘Going Pro’ Day to celebrate students who sign on to high-demand careers

Lawmakers, partners and industry leaders gathered in the Capitol rotunda today to celebrate students and graduates of Kentucky high schools, area technology centers and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System committing to high-demand careers. Sponsored by KCTCS and KDE, the statewide launch of “Going Pro” will be followed by signing events at the 16 community colleges in the coming weeks.

Students signing career contracts said that without the education they received, they would not have known how to pursue the pathways that brought them to the signing table today. 

“You have not seen the last of these incredible students here today, as they are truly professionals in their field of study,” KCTCS President Ryan Quarles said. 

“The KCTCS network of employers is unmatched, and today we witness how that unique network bridges the gap between Kentuckians’ potential and the reality of an incredible career at a company that matches their skills exactly and feeds our workforce needs for years to come,” he said.

State lawmakers adopted a legislative resolution before adjourning last month making April 4 “Going Pro Day” in the commonwealth. 

During 2023-24, nearly 95% of all KCTCS credentials awarded were in programs aligned to the state’s top five targeted industry sectors – advanced manufacturing, business/IT, construction/skilled trades, healthcare, and transportation/logistics – or designed to transfer to a four-year university.

“I have seen firsthand the high-quality education KCTCS provides in partnering with our workforce,” Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe said.

“That coverage is so critical . . . I’m thrilled to see our workforce partners stand up and say, we want to be good partners. Everybody wins,” she added. 

Beth Hargis, KDE associate commissioner, Office of Career and Technical Education said, “Today's Going Pro event celebrated our students' achievements and emphasized the advantages of career and technical education at both the secondary and postsecondary levels. It also demonstrated how, as a commonwealth, we can strengthen our workforce by collaborating towards a shared objective."

KDE’s Office of Career and Technical Education reports high school students in the 2023-24 12th grade cohort earned more than 26,000 postsecondary credentials.

“This collaboration has never been more critical, and by working together, we can tackle Kentucky’s workforce challenges,” Kentucky Chamber of Commerce CEO Ashli Watts said.

To the students signing on to “Go Pro” today, Watts said, “Welcome to the Kentucky workforce. We are so proud of you.”