Originally Published The News-Enterprise | February 23, 2023

Elizabethtown-Hardin County Industrial Foundation has partnered with the Elizabethtown Community and Technical College Foundation to invest nearly $140,000 in an endowment that will support the region’s future workforce training needs.

Paid for by the dissolution of the Elizabethtown Industrial Foundation Training Consortium, the gift reflects the growth in ECTC’s ability to provide employers with customized training, according to a news release.

“As the needs of our region’s employers have evolved, ECTC has stepped up to deliver flexible training options and save employers over $1 million annually through the KCTCS TRAINS program,” industrial foundation President and COO Rick Games said in the release. “Because the community’s needs outgrew the capacity of the Training Consortium, we are proud to create a permanent source of funding for high-demand programs that will develop our workforce.”

“The endowment will be eligible for dollar-for-dollar matching funds through the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, adding additional impact to this incredibly generous gift,” ECTC Foundation Executive Director Megan Stith said in the release.

Because of this endowment, ECTC will have resources to support faculty positions, offer scholarships, implement programs that contribute to workforce development in high-need areas, and facilitate the transfer for students to baccalaureate degree programs in Kentucky, the release said.

“The Elizabethtown-Hardin County Industrial Foundation has a history of taking proactive steps to shape the future of our region and position us for continued growth,” ECTC President and CEO Dr. Juston Pate said. “This partnership is just one more way we’re not only making a difference together now but for generations to come.”

To learn more about ways to the ECTC Foundation, go to ectcforbetterlives.com or contact Megan Stith at megan.stith@kctcs.edu or 270-706-8721.