Kentucky Community & Technical College System
For many people who aren't sure what field they want to pursue or how much a college degree will cost, two-year programs offered through the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) provide a low-pressure, low-budget, close-to-home opportunity to become competitive in the workplace. Created by the Postsecondary Education Improvement Act of 1997, KCTCS harmonizes 28 community and technical colleges occupying 50 campuses in Kentucky, allowing students to move easily among programs and institutions, earning associate degrees and diplomas or certificates in academic or technical programs. Many non-traditional students choose the community and technical college system simply to upgrade their skills in the latest technology, such as Cisco Systems training, computer programming, and Web design.

Why Attend Community College?
"We offer a quality education at an affordable cost," says Dr. Jo Marshall, president of Somerset Community College. "We are designed to compete in cost, but Somerset Community College has chosen to compete in quality." As an institution in the KCTCS, Somerset Community College offers guaranteed transfer associate degrees in arts and sciences in such fields as nursing, physical therapy assistant, network and information systems, clinical lab technology, and business technology.
While students are attracted to the many diverse programs offered by Somerset Community College, many cite the low student-teacher ratio, helpfulness of the faculty, and an intimate hands-on approach to teaching as being just as important as course offerings.
"College is college no matter where you go, but the teachers here work with you on a personal level. They work to foster an educational experience, but at the same time, I could actually call some of them friends. At a larger institution I might be taught by a grad student or some Ph.D. sitting in his office trying to finish his next book, but here the faculty take their courses very seriously and teaching is their primary concern," says Ryan Hall, a computer science major and staff member of The Bridge, the student newspaper.
Another plus for the community college system is the attention to hands-on experience needed to be competitive in business and industry.
"One thing I've learned is experience means everything. When students are trained with a hands-on approach, they have a better foundation and are better prepared for a four-year degree or a job. In a larger institution, there is a lack of one-on-one communication that we have here with our faculty," says Rayetta Bogle, mother of three and president of the Student Government. Bogle is in her last semester at Somerset Community College, working toward a degree in clinical social work with a minor in sociology.

Why Attend Technical College?
A seamless transfer of credits from college to college is also part of KCTCS' vision. Another college in the KCTCS, Rowan Technical College in Morehead, offers diplomas in diverse fields such as automotive technology, air conditioning technology, carpentry, computer assisted drafting, practical nursing, and respiratory care.
"Our goal is different than a university. We train people to be gainfully employed immediately after graduation. People have built lives based on what they have learned here, and that's good for everybody," says Jamie Brown, director of Rowan Technical College.
Immediate job placement is a big selling point for many students seeking to make changes in their lives. Most students at Rowan Technical College are right out of high school, but many nontraditional students, having been laid off from some industry or just wanting to upgrade their skills, attend as well. They work toward a two-year associate of applied technology degree where they complete general education requirements such as math and English as well as master a skill.
Brent Bradley watched his big brother Duran go through the welding program and decided as a senior in high school to visit Rowan Technical College to see if following in his brother's footsteps was the way to go. He decided yes and no, enrolling at Rowan Tech, but instead of welding, chose the machine tool technology. His experience at Rowan Technical College reinforces the knowledge and skills that he will someday use on the job.
"What I learn in math class is directly applied to the skills I need for tool-and-die. The hands-on approach challenges me to apply those skills," says Bradley. "Plus the placement here is so great, I'm not worried about finding a job." For the last 17 years, Mike Davis' machine tool technology program has enjoyed 100% placement.
"Tool-and-die jobs are always in demand. The economy would have to go completely flat line before there would be a shortage of these jobs," says Davis. Hands-on projects represent 60% of the instruction in Davis' class. Davis builds on what he teaches daily, as he impresses discipline in his students to be present and learning every day.
Another student, 33-year-old Patricia Caudill, knew that someday she wanted to work in the automotive industry, but going into an industry where females are in the minority was somewhat daunting. After graduating from high school, Caudill worked as data entry personnel for a local hospital, but she soon became burned out and sought something more challenging and fulfilling.
"My father-in-law and my husband run a junkyard, and I've always wanted to be involved in automotives, but I am one of these shy types," Caudill says. She tried her hand at Morehead State University, taking computer and drafting classes, but she still didn't know exactly what she wanted to do. Caudill then decided to enroll at Rowan Technical College in the automotive technology program, one of only two females in the program.
Caudill, who learns through doing, a type of learning educational psychologists call kinesthetic, sees her knowledge applied to the problems she encounters in the automotive class. The classes are small and students who have problems have the immediate attention of automotive technology instructor Tony Wallace. Wallace encourages students to ask questions and exercise the skills they will need in the field.
"Eighty percent of what we do is 'live' work. Students need to be able to see the symptoms for a particular problem so they can solve it. You only get that through hands-on work," says Wallace.
"I don't know my chances as a woman in this field. I've researched on the Internet and I know that it is harder for a woman," says Caudill. With an automotive technology diploma, Caudill will have knowledge of engines, transmissions, steering, suspension, brakes, and on-board computers. This degree can assist her in finding employment not only in a garage, but also as a technical writer, in sales and service in a dealership, or as an associate in an auto parts store.
"And I can always go back and teach. That's another option," says Caudill. Many students do just that, switching from two-year programs into four-year programs with ease and a good foundation from the technical and community college system.

Kentucky Community and Technical College System
For complete information on all community and technical colleges in Kentucky, you can call, write, or go on the Web. A packet of information can be sent out to you, or you can gather information online.
(859) 246-3146
(877) 528-2748 (toll-free in Kentucky)
2624 Research Park Drive
P.O. Box 14092
Lexington, KY 40512
www.kctcs.net.
e-mail: kctcs.webmaster@kctcs.net

Kentucky Living College Listing
For a listing of all colleges in Kentucky-four-year colleges and universities, private and public, as well as community and technical schools-with their enrollment, tuition, and room and board costs, and programs of distinction, go on the Web to www.KentuckyLiving.com/collegelisting2002.htm.

Kentucky Living College Web Guide
For a listing of over 30 Web sites for researching information on basic college needs such as career planning, financial aid, enrollment, college comparisons, specific Kentucky sites, and testing, go online to www.KentuckyLiving.com/collegewebguide2002.htm.