Pineville, WV (WOAY) – Wyoming County Career and Technical Center’s diesel program and its partnership with Boyd CAT have been named one of eight regional winners in the Education Alliance’s Hope for the Future School-Business Partnership of the Year award, selected from 78 nominations across 40 counties statewide.
The partnership pairs students in the school’s two-year diesel program with Boyd CAT, which provides equipment, resources, and support while identifying candidates it may one day bring on as part of its workforce.
Boyd CAT recruiter Jacob Robinson said the students coming out of the program arrive ready to work. “The quality of the students coming from this program, most of them are prepared for the workforce,” Robinson said. “They’re prepared to act like employees. They’re ready to be held accountable. They’re ready to be developed. And the foundational skills and knowledge that they have learned here just make it easier for us to develop.”
Service Manager Greg Morgan said the program helps Boyd CAT address a widening gap in its workforce. “For far too long, we have watched our workforce leave, and that’s unfortunate,” Morgan said. “With our market primarily in the coal industry, we’ve got such a gap between technicians in age and experience. This program here helps us bridge that gap.”
Robert Crawford of the Education Alliance said the goal of the award is to shine a light on partnerships that create lasting opportunities for students. “To provide those pipelines to those careers, and not just any career, but careers that are long lasting, that provide great benefits, that provide a great livelihood for students,” Crawford said.
Senior Jon Stewart said diesel instructor Clacey Lambert has made the program something bigger than a classroom. “Mr. Lambert, he’s like a father to every one of us,” Stewart said. “All my classmates, especially the seniors, they’re like family to me.”
Lambert said the recognition from his students means more than the award itself. “It means the world to me. To hear their opinion of how they think of me is amazing to me. And it’s worth more than any award that you could get,” he said.
The eight regional winners will now compete for the state title and an award package valued at $25,000. That announcement is expected before the end of the school year.
