Madisonville Community College has earned a national award from a highly competitive field, in recognition of their efforts to tackle a pressing workforce need.
According to the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, the 2025 Bellwether Award in the workforce category went to Madisonville Community College for their work in converting the former Dotiki Mine Portal in Webster County into the Lisman Workforce Complex, which is now a training center for in-demand technical careers.
The college also increased the cohort size of programs to address the regional shortage of utility line workers and those with a commercial driver’s license certification, while also targeting displaced coal workers for enrollment when the complex opened in 2022. They also started a diesel technology program not long after.
The Bellwether Awards are among community colleges’ most competitive and prestigious national honors, recognizing innovative and impactful programs that drive student success and economic growth. Bellwether also recognized a second MCC project aimed at bridging gaps in skilled trades as a finalist in the instructional programs and services category.
KCTCS President Dr. Ryan Quarles says, “Congratulations to Madisonville Community College President Cindy Kelley, her exceptional team and the dedicated community partners for pooling resources to help more local workers become career-ready and move quickly into the workforce to fill critical shortages.”