Madisonville Community College’s efforts to prepare displaced coal industry workers for new jobs has won a national award.

The Bellwether Award recognizes innovative and impactful programs that drive student success and economic growth, says a news release from the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.?

The college converted a building at the former Dotiki mine portal in Webster County into the Lisman Workforce Complex, a training center for “in-demand technical careers,” the release says.?

Recognizing a regional shortage of local utility line workers and those with commercial driver’s license certification (CDL), the college opened enrollment to more students in both programs when classes began at the complex in 2022 and soon followed with a diesel technology program.

Partners include the Webster County Fiscal Court, Webster County Judge Executive Steve Henry and the Green River Area Development District, says the release.

Since 2019, the utility line technician program has grown by 68%, the release says, while graduates from the Lisman Workforce Complex achieve more than a 93% placement rate in their professions within six months of completion.

The Bellwether College Consortium also recognized Madisonville Community College for its project aimed at bridging gaps in skilled trades as a finalist in the instructional programs and services category.