Republican Gov. Matt Bevin and local officials have announced a training facility in eastern Kentucky to help out-of-work coal miners find jobs in advanced manufacturing.
The eKentucky Advanced Manufacturing Institute in Paintsville plans to accept its first class in February. The 16-week program trains people to operate advanced computer numeric control machines. Bevin's office said workers in the field average about $20 an hour and said there are at least 200 vacancies within commuting distance of Paintsville.
Kathy Walker, the institute's director, said the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program will pay tuition for out-of-work coal miners to complete the program. Walker said the partnership has sent 17 people from eastern Kentucky to complete similar training at Vincennes University in Indiana.
