First graduates of AMT program secure jobs

The first class of the Advanced Manufacturing Technician Program (AMT) at Jefferson Community & Technical College (JCTC), Louisville, Ky., has graduated, and 100 percent of the students have full-time jobs waiting for them. In addition, the 10 graduates have completed their studies with little to no student loan debt.

The two-year, apprentice-style program is sponsored by the Greater Louisville Chapter of the Kentucky Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (KY FAME), a group of area manufacturing companies taking action to fill the pipeline of midskill manufacturing workers. KY FAME launched the program in 2015 to expose high school students to careers in manufacturing. That work has since been expanded to include education at the middle school level.

“Thanks to the $15.2 million pledge from Governor Bevin’s Kentucky Work Ready Skills Initiative and commitments from community partners, we will soon break ground on the city’s first Advanced Manufacturing and Information Technology center, an incubator for the skilled work of tomorrow,” said JCTC President Dr. Ty Handy.

Students who participate in the AMT program work toward an associate degree in applied science in advanced manufacturing technology at JCTC. They attend class and participate in lab work for two days a week and work for a sponsor company at a competitive wage the other three days.