Community Impact Program Enables Letcher Countian Koree Stewart to Attend eKAMI, Land Job in Advanced Manufacturing

Koree Stewart was between jobs in 2019 when he decided to apply to begin training at the east Kentucky Advanced Manufacturing Institute (eKAMI) in Johnson County. It was a decision, he says, that he never planned but has since presented him with an opportunity to not only land a job, but take a first step onto a viable career path.

“I never saw myself here, but I’m glad I found my way here,” says Stewart, a native of Letcher County.

Koree Stewart recently completed the curriculum at east Kentucky Advanced Manufacturing Institute (eKAMI), where he learned skills including robotics. (photo courtesy of eKAMI)

For Stewart, “here” is a new job in the growing field of advanced manufacturing. For the past two months he has worked as a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Machinist–a job that he prepared for while developing the necessary skills at eKAMI. The school’s six-month curriculum trains students on a variety of topics ranging from old-style fabrication techniques to operating state-of-the-art CNC machines and writing programs to create a range of parts from metal stock.

Stewart says he became aware of eKAMI through friends who had previously enrolled there and graduated. And when he called to inquire about submitting his own application, he also learned about a workforce program at the Big Sandy Area Kentucky Career Center JobSight that could help him cover the costs of attending the institute and completing its curriculum. 

A partner in the Kentucky Career Center JobSight network of workforce centers, Big Sandy provides Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) services in Floyd, Johnson, Magoffin, Martin, and Pike counties under contract with the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP). Those services include programs for adults, dislocated workers, and for in-school and out-of-school youth who may need assistance honing skills such as résumé building or networking with local employers, or who need assistance being retrained or going to school.

For Stewart, due to his status as a dislocated worker, he qualified for assistance through the JobSight’s Community Impact program. Community Impact is funded by a National Emergency Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to assist workers and their spouses whose careers were impacted by the coal industry decline but who didn’t work directly in coal-related careers.

Stewart’s eligibility meant that his tuition for eKAMI was covered, as were certain other expenses he would incur, including transportation costs, which came in especially handy considering his commute from Letcher County to Paintsville—nearly an hour and a half one way—to attend classes.

“Had it not been for that (assistance), I never would have been able to make it over there,” Stewart says.

Once accepted at eKAMI in February, Stewart says having friends complete the program before him was helpful because it gave him an idea of what he might be learning about advanced manufacturing, and CNC machining specifically.

CNC is a relatively new industry in Eastern Kentucky and it remains a fast-growing industry with a variety of career opportunities. That’s something that didn’t escape Stewart’s notice as he was looking into possible career options and whether eKAMI would be a good fit for him.

“I started looking into it, and that’s one of the things that caught my interest, just how fast it’s growing and how many opportunities there actually are with it,” Stewart says.

While Stewart began his training in February for what would normally be a six-month program, the COVID-19 pandemic and in-person restrictions slowed the class’s progress somewhat. But by September he’d completed the curriculum and before graduating had already begun discussing job opportunities with potential employers, including Machine Time, a custom CNC manufacturer located in Nicholasville, Ky. He eventually received an offer there, and that same month started working as a CNC machinist.

Now, Stewart is spending his days producing parts or writing programs for incoming parts for different applications. While he noted the work was somewhat intimidating at first, his training prepared him for it.

“It’s definitely a lot to take in and I’m no master by far, but I’m learning,” he says. “It’s very interesting.”

And more importantly, Stewart can now concentrate on a career rather than an ongoing job search. And that’s something he credits to being able to depend on the skills he learned at eKAMI and the services he received through the Community Impact program that helped relieve some of the concerns about finances while in training.

“Depending on how far you travel, they give you a gas allowance for the month, and they help you with living expenses, of course, so they make sure you get there on time,” he says. “It’s extremely important, especially in our region for young men coming into the workforce and older men who have been in and are having trouble finding jobs and supporting their families.”

Learn more about the career and employment services available through the Kentucky Career Center JobSight network at www.jobsight.org. eKAMI can be found online at www.ekyami.com.

EKCEP, a nonprofit workforce development agency headquartered in Hazard, Ky., serves the citizens of 23 Appalachian coalfield counties. The agency provides an array of workforce development services and operates the Kentucky Career Center JobSight network of workforce centers, which provide access to more than a dozen state and federal programs that offer employment and training assistance for jobseekers and employers all under one roof. Learn more at http://www.ekcep.org and http://www.facebook.com/ekcep.