Education

Four-Year Colleges & Universities Within 60 Miles of Richmond

Institutions engaged in furnishing academic courses and granting degrees at baccalaureate or graduate levels.

Total Enrollments: 69,624

Note: Miles are calculated as straight-line distance, not highway miles. Denotes enrollment for the entire institutions, including branch campuses; otherwise, enrollment is for the specified campuses.

Source:  Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development.

Two-Year Colleges Within 60 Miles of Richmond

Institutions engaged in furnishing academic, or academic and technical, courses and granting associate degrees, certificates, or diplomas below the baccalaureate level.

Target Enrollments: 19,027

Note: Miles are calculated as straight-line distance, not highway miles. Denotes enrollment for the entire institution, including branch campuses; otherwise, enrollment is for the specified campus.

Source:  Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development.

 Kentucky Technical Schools Within 60 Miles of Richmond, 2014 to 2015

Total Enrollments: 11,551

Note: Miles are calculated as straight-line distance; not highway miles.  Kentucky Tech’s secondary schools, called Area Technology Centers (ATCs), are administered by the Office of Career and Technical Education (OCTE), an agency within the KY Education and Workforce Development Cabinet’s Department for Workforce Investment. Other secondary schools are operated locally by public school districts. Secondary student enrollment is listed under Sec, and post-secondary student enrollment is listed under P/S.

Source:  KY Education and Workforce Development Cabinet; KY Department of Education.

Training Resources

Bluegrass State Skills Corporation – The Bluegrass State Skills Corporation (BSSC) was established in 1984 by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky as an independent, de jure corporation to stimulate economic development through customized business and industry-specific skills training programs.  The BSSC works with business and industry and Kentucky’s educational institutions to establish programs of skills training.  The BSSC is attached to the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development for administrative purposes, in recognition of the relationship between economic development and skills training efforts. The BSSC is comprised of two economic development tools, matching grants and recently authorized Skills Training Investment Tax Credit.  The BSSC grant program is available to new, expanding, and existing businesses and industries.  Eligible training activities include pre-employment skills training and assessment; entry-level skills upgrade and occupational upgrade training; train-the-trainer travel; and capacity building.  The Skills Training Investment Credit Act provides credits to existing businesses for skills upgrade training.

Information on other customized training, assessment services, and adult education services can be obtained by contacting the local economic development agency.

The data was updated in July 2016. For the most up-to-date information, check ThinkKentucky.com at Education and Training.

Eastern Kentucky University

Richmond is home to Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), a regional, public institution of higher education offering general and liberal arts programs, pre-professional and professional training in education, and various other fields at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

EKU has consecutively ranked among “America’s Best Colleges” according to Forbes, the popular business magazine. EKU has the Center for Economic Development, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (CEDET) that helps businesses, industries, organizations, and communities throughout the Commonwealth. The Kentucky Small Business Development Center at EKU offers a variety of counseling, training, and information programs and services to existing and potential small business owners. Their planning and consulting services are provided without charge.

Training workshops are offered at low to no cost. EKU Continuing Education & Outreach-Workforce Education provides quality professional development and training opportunities throughout Kentucky. Workforce Education draws upon the expertise of faculty, area business leaders, and professional trainers to develop and deliver programs tailored to meet the current economic needs of business and industry.  EKU’s Department of Workforce Education is also home to an OSHA Training Institute Education Center — one of five Education Centers serving the eight states of Region IV.

In the fall of 2011, EKU opened the state-of-the-art Broadway-quality Center for the Arts with 2,100 seats. The Center has already booked headline attractions including “Mamma Mia”, “Spamalot”, Willie Nelson, Moscow Festival Ballet, Blue Man Group, Celtic Woman, ZZ Top, and The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma and many more entertaining acts.

Other Education Sources

The University of Kentucky (UK) is the Commonwealth’s principal research institution located in Lexington. As part of the UK’s service mission to Kentucky, several programs have been established to aid in economic development including an industrial extension program. Bluegrass Community Technical College is a post-secondary vocation institution located in Lexington offering career training in the areas of Business, Allied Health, and Technical Education. Other Colleges and Universities in the Region are the National College of Business, Kentucky State University, Georgetown College, Asbury University, Berea College, Midway College, Centre College, and Transylvania University.