Celebrating Community College Month: Building Skills, Changing Lives, Strengthening Communities
As we celebrate Community College Month this April, I'm reminded of the profound impact our institutions have on individual lives and our broader communities. At Owensboro Community & Technical College, we're marking this special month with several signature events that highlight our commitment to workforce development, student success, and community partnership.
Trade Wars 2025: Showcasing Tomorrow's Skilled Workforce
On April 25, our campus will transform into a competitive arena of technical excellence as we host TRADE WARS 2025. This free event, running from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at our Main Campus, will showcase student talent across seventeen competitions in manufacturing, healthcare, and professional skills.
What began as an inspiring model in Maysville in 2019 has now found a home in our region. The competition allows high school students to demonstrate their professional abilities in fields ranging from Air Conditioning Technology and Welding to Nursing and Criminal Justice, with performance categories including Visual Art, Public Speaking, and Dramatic Interpretation.
This event does more than recognize technical excellence – it connects our students directly with the employers who desperately need their skills. Winning schools will receive commemorative banners, while individual champions will earn career-focused prizes supporting their professional development.
OCTC Giving Day: Removing Barriers to Student Success
On April 16, we'll launch our inaugural OCTC Giving Day, coordinating with all KCTCS institutions across the Commonwealth. This 24-hour fundraising initiative addresses critical student needs – from food insecurity to emergency financial assistance – that often stand between talented students and their educational goals.
A recent KCTCS survey revealed that 25% of Kentucky's community college students report low food security. Many face economic challenges that threaten their ability to complete their education. Through Giving Day, we'll raise funds for need-based scholarships, restock our food pantry, provide emergency aid, and support other initiatives that help students persist and graduate.
Sometimes the barriers are surprisingly simple yet insurmountable without assistance – welding students needing helmets, work boots, and gloves, for example. By addressing these practical needs, we help ensure that financial circumstances don't prevent talented individuals from entering high-demand fields.
Going Pro: Celebrating Kentucky's Talent Take-off
On April 15, we'll honor our students who are "Going Pro" – entering the workforce in high-demand fields or transferring to continue their education. Following KCTCS's statewide kickoff at the Capitol Rotunda on April 4, our celebration in the Industry Innovation Center will recognize healthcare, advanced manufacturing, skilled trades and transfer students all who represent Kentucky's future workforce.
As Kentucky's economy grows, the partnership between KCTCS colleges and businesses becomes increasingly vital. In the past year alone, KCTCS colleges supported more than 54,000 jobs in Kentucky and graduated over 16,000 students in key sectors, including healthcare, skilled trades, manufacturing, logistics, and business services.
The Community College Difference
These three events – TRADE WARS, Giving Day, and Going Pro – represent the essence of community college education. We identify workforce needs, develop skilled professionals to meet those needs, and remove barriers that might prevent talented individuals from succeeding.
In a time of workforce shortages and economic uncertainty, community colleges stand as beacons of opportunity and engines of economic development. We provide accessible, affordable pathways to family-sustaining careers while strengthening our communities and fueling economic growth.
This Community College Month, I invite our entire community to participate in these celebrations of student achievement and to join us in supporting the next generation of Kentucky's workforce. Whether through sponsoring TRADE WARS competitions, contributing to our Giving Day, or hiring our graduates, your involvement makes a difference.
Together, we're building a stronger workforce, a more resilient economy, and a brighter future for our region and Commonwealth.
Dr. Scott Williams
President, Owensboro Community & Technical College
Dr. Scott Williams has served as President of Owensboro Community and Technical College since June 2015, bringing over a decade of leadership experience to the institution. His career at OCTC began in the classroom, where he taught Agriculture Technology, Biotechnology, and Anatomy and Physiology before transitioning to administration in 2008 as Vice President of Academic Affairs.
A dedicated community leader, Dr. Williams actively contributes to regional development through his service on multiple local boards. He and his wife Donna make their home in Owensboro, where he balances his professional responsibilities with personal interests in literature, historical research, and culinary arts.
