Student stories from Lumina Foundation's Focus Magazine

FROM THE LATEST ISSUE

Kentuckiana Program Offers 3 Pathways to Credentials and Careers

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As this city climbed out of the 2008 Great Recession, KentuckianaWorks, its regional workforce-development agency, took a new approach to training employees for local businesses: It started teaching people specific skills and awarding them credentials showing that they were superior candidates for entry-level work.

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FROM THE LATEST ISSUE

Michigan college’s health care programs are proving to be a perfect prescription

JACKSON, Mich. — Katie Stiver, 34, spent a decade working in a long-term care facility, helping people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The care she provided was often the most fundamental: feeding, bathing, grooming. She thrived on the personal relationships she cultivated. “They still have so much to give, and they still […]

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FROM THE LATEST ISSUE

Minnesota program shows students that plastic is fantastic

BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — Today, Matthew Ellickson admits it unprompted: When he was a teenager, he goofed off in school. He didn’t think he could make it into a four-year degree program. “I started going to the tech school because I figured, ‘You know what? I’m not a very smart kid, I didn’t get good grades. Maybe I can go to a tech school and get a vocational degree.’

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

If you’re of a certain age — or if you just haven’t thought much lately about career preparation — you likely hold a simple, two-track view. Let’s call it an either-or view: Blue-collar or white. Working with your hands or with your head. College-educated or … not. For most of the 20th century, even most […]

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Video: Hennepin Technical College

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Video: Kentuckiana Builds

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Eric Allen – Learning to build ... a life

Kentuckiana Builds, an education program in construction, is a six-week program with goals and credentials similar to those in the manufacturing program. Read more: Hands-on Programs Give Kentuckiana Students a Leg Up on Good Jobs.