Jordan Stephens’ career journey is a powerful example of resilience and transformation, moving from the instability of the coal mines to getting his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and now enjoying a fulfilling role as a CDL instructor. His success highlights the difference that strong workforce support from the Kentucky Career Center network in Eastern Kentucky can make.
Stephens began his career as a coal miner and battery technician, following a traditional path for many local residents in his native Harlan County. In 2016, the industry downturn led to a layoff, forcing him to consider moving away from Eastern Kentucky. It was then that friends encouraged him to enroll in a program offering assistance to people looking for work that he had seen advertised online at the Harlan County Community Action Agency (CAA).
A partner in the Kentucky Career Center network, Harlan County CAA delivers employment and training services funded through the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) under contract with Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP). These services help unemployed adults, dislocated workers, and young adults build skills, access training, and connect with local employers.
After connecting with Jill Blevins, Workforce Solutions Director at Harlan County CAA, Stephens enrolled in their WIOA program. Blevins and her team provided comprehensive support, a critical service Stephens credits with changing his life.
The Harlan County CAA covered the entire cost of his CDL training, along with supportive services like reimbursement for his physical and permit.
“When I got laid off, the only option was to move out of town until I heard about Jill’s program and came to her. They were super helpful,” Stephens shared. “If it wasn’t for that, I couldn’t have afforded to take the class.”
In 2017, the day after he earned his CDL, Stephens was hired by Midwest Logistics, marking the beginning of a successful trucking career that spanned nearly a decade and included hauling a wide range of cargo, from equipment to explosives cross-country.
In 2025, with two boys and a third child on the way, Stephens sought a career that would keep him closer to home. He jumped at the chance to start a new CDL program at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College. This is where his journey came full circle: after securing the job as an instructor in March, he reconnected with Blevins during an outreach event.
“Well, about 10 years ago, you paid for my CDL,” Stephens reminded her. “She said, ‘Oh, what are you doing now?’ I said, ‘Well, I’m teaching the class now.’ It was full circle. It was a good little moment there.”
Today, Stephens is passing on the skills he acquired through the WIOA program. The new CDL program at Southeast has already seen 63 students, boasting a 100% pass rate. Stephens regularly partners with the Harlan County CAA to enroll new students, often citing the extensive support services that make success possible.
“The extra steps they do to help the students—it just gives them a better life,” Stephens said, detailing the assistance provided by the agency: covering tuition, helping students with resume development, issuing fuel checks for those laid off, and assisting lineman students with the cost of essential work boots.
Stephens emphasized the program’s massive financial impact on his students and the community: “You have somebody with a family, making $10 an hour, struggling, and people like the Harlan CAA and [Blevins] help them . . . and then they go a week after class and get a job that’s a minimum of $1,200 a week. That’s a life-changing experience.”
He concludes that the program is crucial for regional growth: “Not only is it putting money into helping you, but it’s putting money back into your community because you didn’t have to move away. It’s helping Harlan grow.”
About the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP): EKCEP, a nonprofit workforce development agency headquartered in Hazard, Ky., serves the citizens of 23 Appalachian coalfield counties. EKCEP is funded by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, along with various federal and state grants and private donations. Learn more at ekcep.org.