Randy Isaac knew he wanted a future connected to architecture. Through Prosper Appalachia, he found a way to start building experience in a related field before leaving high school.
Prosper Appalachia is EKCEP’s youth-focused workforce initiative that helps high school students explore careers close to home through paid internships, work experience, and employer connections.
In Letcher County, LKLP Community Action Council helps deliver the program locally through Career Development Specialist Darlene Campbell, who works with students like Isaac to identify opportunities tied to their interests and goals. The program provided Isaac with more than work experience. It offered a first look at what it meant to work in a professional setting, build skills, and test out career interests before graduation.
Isaac, a recent graduate of Letcher County Central High School, first heard about Prosper Appalachia through his business teacher, who talked with him about a business co-op opportunity that would allow students to leave during the school day to work at a real job. He eventually enrolled through Prosper Appalachia so he could gain hands-on experience and work after school.
“I decided that I wanted to get some hands-on experience and actually get a job,” Isaac said.
Isaac said the enrollment process was simple. He talked with Campbell about what he wanted to do, the skills he already had, and the areas where he wanted to improve. It wasn’t long before she had helped identify a potential placement.
“I went to Darlene, told her what I wanted to do, what my skills were, what my weaknesses were,” Isaac said. “And she got back to me, I want to say two weeks later.”
Isaac was interested in computer work, but he did not want a job that kept him in an office all day. He wanted something that would combine time at a computer with time outside, giving him a better sense of the kind of work he might pursue after high school.
“My interests are anything to do with computer work,” he said. “I don’t want to be in a full office setting, but I do like office settings. I do enjoy getting out more.”
When Isaac talked with Campbell about his interest in architecture, she helped him look for opportunities that would come as close as possible to that career field. While he said there were few architecture firms nearby, engineering and construction offered a strong match.
Through a work experience placement with Isom Resources, a Letcher County project management company, Isaac gained experience with both surveying and computer drafting.
“I’ve done physical surveying and I’ve done computer drafting,” Isaac said. “So it’s really not like I’m missing out on much. If anything, I’m probably getting more from here.”
The experience also helped Isaac prepare for what he expected to encounter after high school. Because his high school did not offer surveying classes, he said the internship gave him early exposure to skills and concepts he otherwise may not have seen until college.
“I won’t be so shocked by it when it gets thrown at me in college,” Isaac said. “I’ll actually at least have somewhat of a general understanding.”
Isaac began his internship in December and said it was his first employment experience. In addition to learning technical skills, he also learned workplace basics, including how to complete and submit a timesheet properly.
That kind of experience was part of what made Prosper Appalachia valuable, he said. The program helped him enter a workplace, gain training, understand expectations, and begin building a professional foundation connected to his future goals.
Looking back on his experience, Isaac said he would recommend Prosper Appalachia to other students interested in career exploration or internship opportunities. But he also said students need to understand that a real work experience comes with real expectations.
“I would definitely recommend it,” Isaac said, adding that students should be prepared to show up, work hard, and keep going even when some days are more difficult than others.
“You have to show up and be the best that you can,” Isaac said. “There are some days where it’s going to be harder and some days where it’s going to be easier.”
Prosper Appalachia is funded in part through support from the Kentucky General Assembly, but private donations help EKCEP expand critical work experience opportunities for students across Eastern Kentucky. To invest in the future of our region’s young people, donate directly at ekcep.org/donate.
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, and is a proud partner in the American Job Center network.