Category: KRDA

  • ECTC creates Coding Academy

    Elizabethtown Community and Tech­nical College now is accepting applications for the Greater Knox Cod­ing Academy. The first-of-its-kind program at ECTC train peoples to be certified information technology professionals with skills that are in high demand from area defense contractors that support Fort Knox, according to college officials.

    The first cohort will begin training in February.

    ECTC President Juston Pate said the program was developed after retired Brig. Gen. Jim Iacocca, the chief executive officer of Knox Regional Development Alliance, shared news of the challenges defense contractors face in finding certified IT talent locally for critical missions at Fort Knox.

    Many of the vacant positions have starting salaries as high as $65,000 per year.

    “We knew we needed to develop a solution because supporting Fort Knox, our region’s largest employer, is paramount and doing so provides opportunities for people right here in our region. It is a win-win,” Pate said. “We know we have the talent locally to fill the vacancies, they just need the right training.”

    Graduates of the 17-week program will be prepared to test for certification in CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Security+ and as an Oracle Java SE 8 Certified Junior Associate.

    “These are certifications the contractors specifically identified for us,” said ECTC’s Steve Bratcher, Coding Academy coordinator.

    Bratcher said admission to the program is selective and highly competitive. People ages 17 and older are eligible to apply, including high school seniors. After conferring with area school superintendents, ECTC intentionally chose the February start date so seniors could complete the course in conjunction with their graduation.

    All applicants are required to take three aptitude tests, pass a background check and participate in an interview to be considered for the academy. The aptitude tests can all be taken at ECTC’s testing center. Each test takes approximately one hour.

    “This is a very demanding course and the certification tests are extremely difficult,” Bratcher said. “We have developed a program to give participants the best chance of passing. The application process is designed to select candidates who are well-positioned to succeed in our program.”

    Bratcher said the background check is designed to eliminate people with a criminal history who would have a challenging time receiving security clearance required for jobs on the military installation.

    Bratcher said the college plans to offer the course two additional times in 2020 but the cost almost certainly will increase. Offered through the college’s Workforce Solutions department, it does not qualify for most traditional forms of financial aid.

    “Testing for the certifications alone costs more than $2,500,” he said. “This is an incredible opportunity for students willing to dedicate the time to the course.”

    The class will run 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mon­day through Friday and lunch is provided.

    Iacocca touted ECTC’s leadership and responsiveness. When decision makers at the Department of Defense are looking at where to add missions, among the many things considered, he said, is whether the community is supportive and has a skilled workforce.

    “The Greater Knox Coding Academy is yet another example of how time and again this community steps up and supports Fort Knox,” Iacocca said. “ECTC epitomizes the words community partner.”

    While the academy is designed in response to Fort Knox workforce needs, Pate said coding skills academy graduates will acquire knowledge also in demand by several of the region’s employers.

    Source: The News-Enterprise 

  • Sen. Rand Paul makes stop in E’town

    Source: The News-Enterprise 

    Board members and investors of the Knox Regional Development Alliance got a personal visit Monday from U.S. Sen. Rand Paul.

    “I think it’s just won­der­ful Sen. Paul would be willing to take some time to spend some time with members of the Knox Regional Development Alliance,” said Beth Avey, vice president for operations.

    Avey said Paul always has interesting facts to share. Some of the information he shared Monday during the development alliance meet­ing hosted at Swope Toyota in Elizabethtown revolved around the economy and military.

    Paul said 137,000 people are coming up out of extreme poverty every day.

    “Our country’s unemployment is about 3 percent; the economy is booming … it is a good time right now,” he said.

    Paul said the country has doubled its economy eight times over the last 200 years.

    “Why is our economy thriving? Why is the world economy thriving? To me, it is a very simple answer. It is allowing people to be free to trade their services or their goods with very little in­ter­ruption from government and also allow them to trade them across country lines,” said Paul, a Republican.

    Paul also mentioned two bills he is sponsoring. One is a bill for widows of people who died in combat. He said there has been a quirk in the payment where they get less. He said the government is trying to get that fixed.

    Avey said it was good to hear the work Paul is doing to correct the situation with widow benefits.

    “Anything that we can do collectively at all levels to support soldiers and families or military and their families is a win,” she said.

    The second bill has to do with soldiers in Af­ghanistan.

    “I think we have been too long in Afghanistan. I think the mission is completed. You can’t find a General who can tell you what the mission is any longer,” he said, noting it is very expensive. He said it costs about $51 billion a year to have troops deployed there.

    “I have a bill to end it. To get rid of the 2001 authorization and give everybody who served over there a $2,500 bonus,” he said. “ … I think at the very least we need to debate it. We voted in 2001. I would have voted for it in 2001 but it is a long time. I think we need to reassess what the mission is there.”

    Paul said he continues “to believe we shouldn’t spend money we don’t have whether it is for a good cause or bad cause.”

    He said the country now is running on trillion-dollar deficits.

    “Whose fault is it, Re­pub­licans or Demo­crats? I say, yes. It’s both parties. Both parties want to spend money for different reasons,” he said. “ … The right wants more military money and the left wants more welfare money and they both get it and everything goes up.”

    “We can’t just spend money we don’t have,” Paul added.

    Al March of the Fort Knox area chapter Military Officers Association said he always has been impressed with Paul’s view of economics.

    “He would readily agree what we are doing as a nation wouldn’t ever work as an individual household,’’ March said. “Historically, we’ve spent more and more money than we have and it is just not supportable in the long run. It just does not make sense. From an individual point of view you can understand that. But it is just as true at the nation level.”

    Paul also mentioned his new book, “The Case Against Socialism” to those in attendance.

  • 9/11 – where I was and what it means to me

    9/11 – where I was and what it means to me

    KRDA President / CEO Brig. Gen. (Ret) Jim Iacocca was asked to provide brief remarks at the beginning of monthly luncheon of the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce.

    His words were tremendously moving so we wanted to share them below.

    Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen,

    Brian Kerr asked me to say a few words about 9 -11 – where I was and what it means to me. Like everyone in this room I know you remember exactly where you were at 8:45 that Tuesday morning. I was fortunate enough to be in an organization that would be the first to bring justice to those who harbored the terrorists.

    I was in my office as the Adjutant of a special operations unit at Fort Bragg North Carolina doing the normal stuff an adjutant does in a special operations organization – focus on manning the force. I went to see my boss when the second plane struck and we knew we were about to get very focused and very busy. I remember the sense of anger and frustration as we watched this unfold but powerless – for now – to do anything about it. Unlike the day prior when all posts were open to the public, Fort Bragg immediately shut the gates and I spent the night at the office. I am glad I stayed at the office because there was an 8-hour delay to get on post the next day – most did not make it to work. The team of special operators began preparations and in October executed the longest air assault in military history and struck a compound deep in Afghanistan. The operators left police and firefighter patches from New York City all over the compound to let others know they were there.

    So what does 9-11 mean to me – it is a heightened day of remembrance for those Soldiers who died in the Pentagon – many of them were my friends – if you recall when the plane hit the Pentagon it struck the very center of the Army G1 organization and as a personnel officer I knew many of them personally but all of them by reputation. It is also a day to remember the involuntary great sacrifice of all the civilians who died in the World Trade Centers and the unselfish sacrifices of the heroic first responders who rushed in to help – many sacrificing their own lives. And the heroic efforts of the passengers on flight 93 who forced their plane to crash in a field in Pennsylvania rather than allow it to strike another terrorist target. And finally this day, it is a reminder of all that is great about our nation – service, sacrifice and patriotism – that our nation can and will rise to the challenge.

    Thanks for allowing me to share a few thoughts. God bless you and God Bless America.

  • Interested in a career as a Business Continuity Professional?

    Interested in a career as a Business Continuity Professional?

    KRDA is excited to share a training opportunity that Elizabethtown Community and Technical College is hosting November 4 – 8th. The DRI seminar course, Business Continuity (BCLE 2000), is FREE to transitioning Soldiers and veterans within 5 years of separation and is ideally suited for officers and senior non-commissioned officers. This training will certify you to work for any Fortune 500 Company to prepare for, respond to and recover from a crisis. Ninety-seven percent of Fortune 100 companies will only hire someone with the Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) certificate which is only offered by DRI International.

    To make reservations and receive further instructions email lukeleonard87@gmail.com or alake@driif.org.

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  • Community welcomes new Garrison Commander

    The City of Radcliff and KRDA hosted a welcome reception for Fort Knox’s new Garrison Commander, Col. C.J. King. This is Col. King’s second assignment at Fort Knox. We are glad to have him and his wife Samantha back here with us. To see Col. King’s bio, click here.

  • Lunch with a Fort Knox Leader

    At KRDA’s Lunch with a Fort Knox Leader, Maj. Gen. Donnie Walker talked about his role as Commanding General of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command. 1st TSC Soldiers are deployed in over 20 countries around the world – ensuring warfighters have the supplies and transportation capabilities they need to accomplish their missions.

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