Owensboro Community and Technical College

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OCTC's Sheri Plain Named a 2019 Influential Women in Manufacturing

by Amber Phillips

Owensboro, KY (06/05/2019) — Owensboro Community & Technical College (OCTC) is proud to announce that Sheri Plain, director of Workforce Services in OCTC's Workforce Solutions department has been named one of twenty-seven honorees recognized as 2019's Influential Women in Manufacturing. Chosen from more than 120 nominations, Sheri joins the ranks of CEO's, senior engineers, and members of congress, and she was one of only two honorees unanimously selected by the review panel.

The goal of Putman Media's award is to encourage women leaders to embark on initiatives that challenge traditional approaches in focus areas such as production process management and manufacturing workforce recruitment.

Plain is currently working to implement a grant that focuses on the recruitment of female incumbent workers from the production line and helps to upskill them into maintenance technician positions. When asked to reflect on this honor, Plain commented, "It is my great fortune to work with a team of women on this initiative - Cindy Fiorella, Katie Vincent, Allyson Sanders, Amanda Saam, and Christi Midkiff - who are building a pipeline of skilled workers and next generation manufacturing leaders while promoting greater gender diversity."

Plain has also worked to provide solutions to various obstacles currently affecting women in the field. After learning that women on the production line were unable to take off to attend classes or labs due to affordability, Plain proposed mobile labs that allow women to complete the course at the job site on lunch breaks and in between shift changes, and a flexible delivery method for course work enabling women to complete the lessons on their own time and at their own pace.

Plain is making great strides in ensuring the advancement of women in manufacturing. Due to her vast experiences, creative solutions, and her passionate drive she stands out among those honored by Putman Media as a 2019 Influential Woman in Manufacturing honoree.

OCTC President, Dr. Scott Williams added "We are so proud of the great work Sheri is doing to advance women in manufacturing. Her passion, professionalism and dedication certainly set her apart and we are so excited to see her recognized for outstanding work. Sheri is very worthy of this national recognition."

Plain has been at OCTC in the Workforce Solutions division since 2004, but started at OCTC (then OCC) in 1998 holding various leadership positions. Plain holds a bachelor's degree in journalism, radio and television from Murray State University and a Master of degree in communication from Western Kentucky University.

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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

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