Ready To Work Program
Kentucky Community and TechnicalCollege System (KCTCS)
Ashland Community and TechnicalCollege Highlight
Ready-To-Work (RTW) is a partnership between the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) and the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (KCHFS) designed to promote the success of Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (KTAP) recipients who attend community and technical colleges. KCTCS has received three awards for Ready-to-Work in recognition of the program's exemplary efforts.
December 2007 – The Kentucky Cabinet for Heath and Families Community Partner Award
2001 – AAWCC Model Program Award (American Association of Women in Community Colleges, an affiliate of the American Association of Community Colleges)
May 2001 – The Kentucky Cabinet for Family and Children Secretary’s Quality of Life Award
What began in 1999as an effort to make additional work-study resources available to TANF (Transitional Assistance for Needy Families)/KTAP students in the community and technical colleges has evolved into a statewide network. The network comprises a system-wide coordinator, 20 full-time TANF-funded Ready-to-Work (RTW) coordinators serving 16 KCTCS colleges throughout Kentucky. These coordinators provide and/or facilitate a comprehensive network of support services including recruitment, assessment and retention strategies, tutoring, case management, mentoring, career counseling, job development, placement and post-placement services. They also assist the RTW participants to access all supportive services (such as transportation and child care) and resources available through KCHFS and other agencies. They serve as liaisons between and among the student, the campus system and the KCHFS/DCBS (Department for Community Based Services) local office system and case managers.
The provision of work-study opportunities remains a major focus of Ready-to-Work. Each RTW work-study student can earn up to $2,500 per year that does not reduce her/his KTAP check. The placement of work-study students with both private and non-profit employers helps prepare them for the workplace. It is a "win-win" situation for everyone involved. The student gains work experience and job retention skills as well as extra income while employers have an opportunity to recruit and to hire KCTCS/RTW students and graduates.
Ready-to-Work continues to experience success in its efforts to help KTAP recipients to achieve academic success and self-sufficiency as they gain the training and education necessary to compete in today's job market. From the spring of 1999 to the spring of 2006, the number of RTW students served has increased by 305% and the number of RTW work-study students by 661%. Through continued recruitment and retention efforts by the RTW coordinators in partnership with KCHFS local offices and KTAP case managers, 2031 low-income parents were served (in FY05-06) through the RTW program. That is an increase of 291% in the number of KTAP recipients enrolled in KCTCS colleges since the inception of the program. The students not only enroll in college, but they stay in college with a semester-to-semester retention rate of 81% and an average GPA of 2.70 during the spring 2006 school semester.
In 2003, Ready-to-Work was expanded to include KTAP recipients who did not have a high school diploma but wished to earn a General Education Diploma (GED) in order to transition into a college. This expansion, called Work and Learn, also include KTAP recipients who already had a high school diploma or GED but needed academic remediation before attending college. The same services given to Ready-to-Work students were also given to Work and Learn students (including work-study). During FY '06, 493 students were served in Work and Learn and 303 of those participated in work-study.
RTW/STATEWIDE
Average number of RTW students served each semester since the spring of 1999 1,200
Average number of RTW work-study students each semester since the spring of 1999 527
Average GPA for RTW students since the fall of 1999 2.65
(Compared to an average overall college GPA of 2.56)
Average fall-to-fall retention rate of RTW students (return to school from previous year) 64% (Since fall 05)
(Compared to an average overall college fall-to-fall retention rate of 50%)
Average with-in semester retention rate of RTW students – enrolled and remained for
the entire semester 89% (Since spring 99)
(Compared to an average overall college within-semester retention rate of 76%)
Average semester-to-semester retention rate of RTW students 79% (Since spring 02)
(Compared to an average overall college semester-to-semester rate of 67%)
Number of verified graduating RTW students since fall 00 1,677
Associate degrees – 917
Certificates & diplomas – 760
Some of the fields of study:
Registered nursing 116
Practical nursing 116
Human Services 72
Criminal Justice 38
Business Adm. 24
Information Technology 20
Respiratory Care 19
Accounting 17
Early Childhood Educ 16
Radiography 12
Number assisted to find unsubsidized employment since spring 00954
RTW FACTS
"Ready-to-Work" (RTW) is an initiative developed through a partnership between the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) and the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (KCHFS) and is designed to promote the success of Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (KTAP/TANF) parents who are interested in attending community and technical colleges and could benefit from having a certificate, a diploma, an associate degree. The initiative assists with job skills, life skills, academic success training, counseling, advising, mentoring, and referrals to other agencies for needed services, and securing and retaining employment. The initiative also provides participants with work-study opportunities relevant to their fields of study in both private and non-profit settings. This provides the participants with work experience, job retention skills and extra income and provides employers an opportunity to recruit KCTCS/RTW students and graduates for full-time or part-time employment.
· There are 20 full-time Ready-to-Work Coordinators serving 16 KCTCS (Kentucky Community and Technical College System) colleges.
· The RTW work-study initiative began in 1998, but full-time coordinators were not part of the program until 1999.
· From the spring of 1999 to the spring of 2006 there was a 288% increase in the number of KTAP students enrolled in KCTCS/Ready-to-Work college sites, from 395 to 1531.
· The percentage of the KTAP/TANF population attending college in Kentucky is 8.7%. This is a greater percentage than the percentage of the general population attending college.
· From the spring of 1999 to the fall of 2006 there was a 645% increase in the number of Ready-to-Work participants who participated in RTW work-study, from 97 to 723.
· From the beginning of the spring 2006 semester to the end of the spring 2006 semester, the RTW retention rate was 95%. The retention rate from fall 2004 to fall 2005 was 63% in Ready-to-Work.
· The overall GPA for RTW for the spring 2006 term was 2.70. The average GPA for the KCTCS colleges overall was 2.69. (This was the last reporting period.)
· The RTW initiative began tracking the number of KTAP/RTW students graduating from KCTCS colleges in the spring of 2001. Since that time, 1098 Ready-to-Work participants and 329 former Ready-to-Work participants have graduated from KCTCS colleges. Seven hundred participants continued their post-secondary education after graduating.