"I recently graduated from Bowling Green Technical College’s Industrial Maintenance program. Although I was laid off, as a result of that I had the opportunity to go back to school thru the Barren River Area Development District (BRADD) and the Workforce Investment Area (WIA) program."

"The WIA program gave me the opportunity to further my education, something I could have never afforded to do on my own. My case worker, Tonya Mudd was very helpful throughout the whole time. I graduated with a degree in Industrial Maintenance. I am currently employed at T. Marzetti in Horse Cave. My title is Sanitation; this was the only job opening at the time. I hope to someday soon be working maintenance there and put my degree to good use."

"Currently, I am an Outby Utility Worker at Hopkins County (KY) Elk Creek Coal Mine. The Mining Technology program at Madisonville Community College put me in a position to re-enter the workforce after being laid off from my previous job. I cannot begin to express the appreciation I have for the GRADD/WIA opportunity to become re-trained. It has opened doors for me and my family that would have been next to impossible to obtain. All through the program, I was met with professional people who walked me through the entire process - for that I am grateful to each and everyone involved. Thank you for this fantastic opportunity."

“Originally, I came to the One Stop to apply for unemployment compensation due to losing my job from a business closure. Once there, I was told about several services available to help me find new employment. Counselors are available to answer any questions and assist with skills to help people look for work. For starters, I am in my mid 40’s and had really only worked in the field of automotive repair. I had finally gotten a job in another field, being a warehouse worker, which I really enjoyed. Then, feeling like I had finally found a new career path, the company that I worked for decided to leave the area. I suddenly found myself unemployed and dreading going back into working on cars. Plus, about a year prior to the company closing its doors, I had a heart attack. So, I was really feeling a lack of self-confidence and extra worry."

"Speaking with counselors and finding out that there was even some extra help for Veterans was a huge comfort. I was also able to obtain some assistance with paying for my training to obtain a commercial driver’s license. Being able to attend the training while still getting the unemployment compensation was extremely helpful to me and my family. It allowed me to seek a job that I wanted without worry of losing our home. The counselors helped me find my self-confidence and were very supportive in every aspect of the journey. The end result has been fantastic. Within only a couple of weeks of completing the CDL training, I got a job driving over the road for a frozen food supplier. While doing that job, I continued to look for work that was local so that I could be home. Within a few months, I was able to find another job that utilizes the CDL training, without having to be on the road and away from home. Now I have a steady job with great benefits. I would tell anyone that is either unemployed or even looking to change jobs to visit the One-Stop Center. They have great tools available to help with searching for new jobs and counselors on site to help answer any questions. There are tools available to help with every aspect of searching for a new job. There is always someone there to point you in the right direction. I am currently employed with Veolia Water, in Radcliff, Ky. And am very happy and satisfied with my job!”