OCTC Now Offering Career and Life Skills Certificate

OCTC's New Career and Life Skills Certificate Supports Students with Intellectual Disabilities Who Want to Attend College to Improve Employability and Explore Career Opportunities

Owensboro, KY (04/10/2023) — Beginning Spring 2023, Owensboro Community and Technical College (OCTC) began offering the Career and Life Skills Certificate. The Career and Life Skills Certificate is a Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary (CTP) program that supports students with intellectual disabilities who want to attend college to improve employability and explore career opportunities.

The Career and Life Skills (CLS) Certificate program is suited for students with intellectual disabilities seeking to gain independence and learn skills for use in the workforce. All CLS students will have at least one mentor who will help facilitate the person-centered planning process and connect students with campus life, extra-curricular, and social engagement activities. In addition, they may serve as a future reference for the students, as the mentor will play an essential role in the competency-based assessment of the overall program objectives.

"OCTC's CLS Certificate program provides students with intellectual disabilities an inclusive college experience while gaining independence and workforce readiness skills," said OCTC Director of Counseling Services, Barb Tipmore.

OCTC Ready to Work Coordinator & CLS Coordinator, Amy Fogle-Stiff added, "The CLS program exemplifies OCTC's commitment to a culture of inclusion."

The CLS program is a selective admission program. Prospective students should complete the online application for admissions by visiting owensboro.kctcs.edu and choosing "Career and Life Skills" as your certificate. Contact Amy Fogle-Stiff for the program application, which requires a recommendation from an educator, support services provider, or advocate.

Students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA at studentaid.gov to determine eligibility for federal and/or state financial aid. Kentucky high school graduates are eligible to access their Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES). As a CTP program, Kentucky graduates are also eligible for the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship.

For more information about financial aid, please contact the OCTC Financial Aid Office at 270-686-4520 or email octc.financialaid@kctcs.edu. Ask your questions over the phone or via email, or set up an appointment with a Financial Aid Specialist!

For more information, please contact OCTC CLS Coordinator, Amy Fogle-Stiff at 270-686-4556 or amyf.fogle@kctcs.edu.

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Owensboro Community & Technical College is one of the sixteen community and technical colleges that make up the Kentucky Community & Technical College System. OCTC serves the KY counties of Daviess, Hancock, Ohio and McLean. OCTC has three campuses in Daviess County and a Center and Annex in Hancock County. OCTC strives to serve the communities in the service area by providing associate degree education for transfer, state of the art technical education for students focusing on entering the workforce, customized business and industry solutions through the Workforce Solutions division, and adult education and business and industry testing through the SkillTrain unit.

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The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is the Commonwealth's largest postsecondary institution with 16 colleges and more than 70 campuses. We also are Kentucky's largest provider of workforce training and online education. Through partnerships with business and industry, we align our programs to meet the needs of local employers. We help students fulfill their dreams of creating a better life through programs that lead directly to jobs or help them transfer to one of our four-year partners.

Connect with OCTC: Owensboro.kctcs | Facebook.com/owensboroctc | Twitter@OCTC_Tweets | Instagram OwensboroCTC