Workforce Solutions at Big Sandy Community and Technical College
PAINTSVILLE, Ky. – Lyndon Blake Meade or Blake as everyone calls him, grew up in a family of coal miners with over 30 years among them. Blake like other family members stared his career in coal and worked for two local coal corporations.
Like most, with the downturn of the coal industry Blake soon found himself working in the western coal fields which reach into Southern Illinois, for Alliance Coal Company.
“My whole family worked in coal, even my grandma, she helped my grandpa run mines in Knott County.” said Blake Meade.
After 6 years of a coal mine career himself Blake soon found his way home when his mom became ill and into the office of Adult Education director Dr. Jennifer Leedy.
Dr. Leedy and her team got Blake started, he worked with Joey Conn and Phillip Gullett to finish his studies and take the NCRC test.
The Kentucky National Career Readiness Certificate or NCRC test as it’s commonly called, is an assessment-based credential that gives employers and job seekers a portable and uniform measure of key workplace skills. While Blake was working on his NCRC test he heard about the CDL, Fiber Optics and Lineman class offered by Big Sandy Community and Technical College’s Workforce Solutions Division.
“Sally [Porter] helped get me enrolled and get started.” said Meade “The biggest thing is to take everything serious, your instructors give you the right tools and training for the job.”
Once he started he knew he was on the right path and graduated in May of 2017 with his credential in CDL, Lineman and Fiber Optics.
“Blake has come in and talked to the students, and answered any question they had.” said Dr. Jennifer Leedy. He is a great advocate for these students and he is proof that hard work pays off.”
Blake put his training to use and is currently employed by AEP as a transmission line mechanic and works in the Morehead, Ashland and Ohio area.
For information about CDL, Lineman and Fiber Optic Training contact Sally Porter at 606-218-1276.
