Site Visit to Paintsville, KY

There was a full house for today's interview training in Paintsville. So nice to see so many of our GCDFs and their colleagues. This afternoon, we visited the historic Mayo Memorial United Methodist Chuch that was built by local millionaire, John C.C. Mayo in the early 1900's. Mr. Mayo travelled extensively in Europe and wanted to share the beauty of European cathedrals with his community. He brought 100 Italian craftsment to Paintsville for the 5 year project. The church was constructed out of native sandstone that was cut and shaped at Thomas Jefferson Mayo's (John Mayo's father) farm, which was located across Paint Creek. The stones were transported to the church by the same aerial tram which Mayo used to construct his mansion. The roof is made of over 12,000 glazed green tiles that weigh six pounds a piece. Its pipe organ was donated by Andrew Carnegie. The church is also well known for its large stained glass windows, designed by Italian craftsman and imported from Italy. The windows portray the Birth, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ. We are fortunate to have a private organ recital with the pastor's wife.

Lexington Tops Manpower's List

According to a recent survey conducted by Manpower employment services firm, the job market is rebounding. The survey of more that 18,000 employers in 100 metropolitan areas found that employers in all 50 states report positive hiring expectations, with 33 of the states reporting strong hiring expectations. In fact, the survey revealed that Lexington, Kentucky had the most optimistic forecast of all the metropolitan areas. According to Bob Quick, CEO of Commerce Lexington, the city has a diverse economy that has helped it weather the recent recession. He goes on to say that healthcare, bioscience, life science and high tech have emerged strongly over the past few years. Many related spin off and research companies have benefitted from their close association with the University of Kentucky. Also, Lexington has a growing reputation for small business start-ups and being the home of many creators and inventors. Notice how this list of industries compares to the BLS growing career fields we have recently discussed in GCDF training?

The Job Interview and a science fair project

Our recent visit to Harlan inspired this blog post found on the Master Career Counselor blog:

http://bit.ly/dRDiKM

Harlan Site Visit

Last week our travels took us to Harlan for a day of training, lunch, and a Q & A session with our GCDF colleagues. We are always amazed at how spring seems to hit the mountains first. The trees were starting to bloom and the flowers were also beginning to show off their lovely colors.

LKLP Site Visit

Spring is slowly but surely arriving in Kentucky and that means site visits. This week we enjoyed spending a day with our GCDFs and their colleagues at LKLP. The morning consisted of a training on how we can help prepare our clients for interviews. After a delicious pot luck luncheon, we headed to Leslie County to learn more about the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing.

As many of you know, the Frontier Graduate School of Midwifery was started in 1939 by the Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) as a part of its demonstration project in the care of the mother and child in rural areas of Kentucky. From the beginning, Founder Mary Breckinridge viewed nurse-midwifery as central to health care. When FNS began using nurse-midwives in the United States in 1925, it was able to secure a qualified staff in only two ways, by sending the American nurses to Great Britain for graduate training or by enlisting British nurses already qualified as midwives. In the early years, the FNS offered scholarships to American nurses to go to Great Britain for training in nurse-midwifery, and recruited British nurse-midwives.

If you have not had a chance, plan a visit to Leslie county and learn more about FNS - a true Kentucky gem. Students still come from around the country for nurse training. The history is fascinating and grounds are absolutely beautiful. A bed and breakfast will be opening soon in Mary Breckinridge's former home.

Pathways to Prosperity Study

Many of our GCDF trainings fall back on the discussion of how our current American educational system is failing our youth and what can be done about it. We also continue to discuss to what extent does education pay? How does vocational school training compare to a traditional four year college education when it comes to getting jobs? Afterall, 86% of the jobs in world of work fall under the Realistic Holland code. Read an exciting new study recently published by Harvard on these very topics - Pathways to Prosperity.