Edmonson County Schools continues to improve upon vocational instruction

BROWNSVILLE, Ky. – Through a $10 million grant from the Kentucky legislature, Edmonson County Schools is making strides in the trades department on their campus.

The vocational programs at the center include agriculture, engineering, electricity, welding, auto mechanics, allied health, business, marketing, and more.

Edmonson County Superintendent Brian Alexander said “We feel like our kids’ education takes a backseat to no one and we take it seriously as a community”, when speaking on the renovations to the vocational wing of the high school.

Teachers Shane Wilson, Brandon Meredith, and Alex Jane Massey who have recently transitioned their classes to the updated annex said the difference is night and day.

Meredith who teaches welding said he’s a graduate of Edmonson County’s welding program, the alum said “Without this program, who knows…” when talking about the transition and still installing new equipment to the class. Meredith said the vocational wing hasn’t had an upgrade since its inception in 1980 and has been a big upswing for the kids since construction started, taking them out of the shop.

The funding for this project was announced back in 2022 when Edmonson County Schools received $10 million toward their local career and technical center.

In the nursing pathway, kids are getting certified in basic patient care, along with help from A.I. programmed test dummies. The welding and engineering departments also saw new equipment, which many involved with the program say was a much-needed upgrade.