Five years into his recovery, Ashton Banfield is building a career in healthcare one credential at a time.
In a matter of months, with support from EKCEP’s SITE program, Banfield has gone from exploring his options to earning healthcare credentials, working at UK St. Claire in Morehead, and preparing for the next step toward his ultimate goal of becoming a registered nurse.
For Banfield, that progress represents more than career advancement. Now five years and five months into recovery from active addiction, he sees education and employment as part of the life he has worked to rebuild for himself and his family.
“My recovery has taught me that my past does not have to determine my future,” Banfield said. “Every day in recovery has given me another opportunity to grow, learn, and become the person I want to be.”
That next chapter began taking shape this spring, when an advisor and a close friend at Maysville Community and Technical College told Banfield about employment and training services available through Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP).
He connected with EKCEP in May and enrolled in the Strategic Initiative for Transformational Employment, or SITE, program, an initiative of EKCEP’s Recovery & Reentry division that helps individuals in recovery overcome barriers to entering and remaining in the workforce.
Working with EKCEP Career Navigator Jacob Sartin, Banfield began turning his interest in healthcare into a career plan.
SITE helped with the practical costs that can stand between someone and a new opportunity, including certification and testing fees, transportation, vehicle-related expenses, and work clothing. Sartin also connected Banfield with community resources and Kentucky Career Center services through the TENCO local workforce area.
With some of those barriers removed, Banfield began moving quickly.
SITE helped cover the costs of his nursing aide and EMT testing, and by June, Banfield had earned his Certified Nursing Assistant credential and was interviewing for healthcare positions.
Those efforts soon led to an opportunity at UK St. Claire. Banfield began working there June 22 as a Patient Care Transporter, giving him a foothold in the healthcare field and the chance to continue building his skills.
It did not take long for another opportunity to emerge.
Banfield learned that earning his Certified Clinical Medical Assistant credential could help him advance and increase his earnings. He returned to SITE for assistance with certification and transportation costs and, by August, had earned his CCMA credential through the National Healthcareer Association. SITE also helped with transportation and the scrubs he needed for work.
Each accomplishment has brought Banfield closer to the long-term goal that continues to drive him.
He has since completed his EMT exam and is awaiting the results. His next major step is to enroll in the nursing program at Maysville Community and Technical College and continue working toward becoming a registered nurse.
“I want to continue my education, gain experience, and eventually become an RN so I can make a difference in the lives of the patients and families I serve,” Banfield said.
Banfield credits SITE and Sartin with helping him turn those ambitions into something tangible.
“Jacob believed in me, encouraged me, and helped me find opportunities to better myself,” Banfield said. “The support I have received has helped me turn goals into accomplishments and has reminded me that investing in myself and my future is worth it.”
For Banfield, the credentials, the job, and the plans for nursing school are all evidence of how much can change when someone keeps moving forward.
“I hope my story can inspire someone else who may be struggling or wondering if they can change their life,” Banfield said. “Recovery, education, hard work, and the right support can open doors you never thought were possible.”
EKCEP’s SITE program helps bridge the gap between recovery and workforce participation for Kentuckians across 58 counties. Through career navigation and connections to community resources, SITE helps individuals in recovery overcome barriers to employment and build long-term career stability. SITE is funded in part through the Kentucky Overdose Response Effort (KORE) and the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy.
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. Learn more at ekcep.org.