Classroom heads home with PCC ‘Ready-to-Work’ grads

PRESTONSBURG — Twenty-five people walked away with computers and new printers Wednesday at Prestonsburg Community College amid rounds of congratulations from well-wishers.

The men and women hauling out the new computers are participants in the Ready-to-Work Program offered through KTAP at PCC.

The participants were involved in a three-hour PC essentials basic computer training course sponsored by the McConnell Technology & Training Center in Louisville.

Jean Rosenberg, PCC’s campus coordinator for the program, wrote a proposal to use special projects funds for the class, which takes participants through all the basic steps for computer setup and use.

Florence Huffman, with the McConnell training center, explained how the program works.

“When they (the participants) get in here, nothing is connected,” she said. “So, we take them from there to the end. When they leave, they have their own software, Windows 95, which is licensed to them, and their own computer.

“We have computers donated, usually by corporations and individuals, we take them to the Louisville office and recondition them,” she said. The class is open to anyone and we try to focus on folks who might not be able to otherwise afford a computer, such a rural single parents, low income, seniors and the disabled. We seem to leave these people behind in the information age. Our goal is workforce development.”

At the end of the class, participants get to unhook their computers, load them up and take them home.

Wednesday’s class participants got an extra bonus — brand new printers donated by the Lexmark Corporation in Lexington.

Lexmark’s participation in the program came about in a unique way.

Rosenberg’s husband, retired Appalachian Research and Defense Fund founder John Rosenberg, was speaking to a group in Lexington and happened to mention the grant his wife wrote. There was a Lexmark representative in the audience, and a decision was made to donate the printers so participants could go home with a complete unit.

Jean Rosenberg said participants were drawn from the same programs in surrounding counties and referrals were sought from Billie Jean Cole in Pikeville and Lorraine Martin, who used to be at Mayo Technical and Vocational School. Mayo instructor Cynthia Manning taught Wednesday’s course.

There were 57 people signed up for the course, Rosenberg said, but the class was limited to 25. Planning is ongoing to find a way to offer a second course.

Huffman said she works in the Northern and Eastern Kentucky areas and classes are coordinated through community and technical colleges.

Persons outside college programs can sign up to take the class, which costs $350. For more information, call 502-367-4261, 859-233-7421 or visit the website at www.mttc.org.