The recent ceremonial groundbreaking held to celebrate the $9 million expansion of the ECTC Leitchfield Campus highlights a commitment to educating local students for local jobs in the ever-expanding, high-demand healthcare field.
The new, 16,735-square-foot building, being constructed by a Grayson County company, T&T Construction, will include advanced manufacturing and healthcare classrooms and labs, allowing the ECTC Leitchfield Campus to offer technical programming that leads to coveted healthcare careers in the region.
“Offering world-class technical education in Leitchfield means more of our friends, family and neighbors (whether new high school graduates or adult learners), who are prepared to succeed in their classrooms, their careers and their communities,” ECTC President and CEO Dr. Juston Pate said.
Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center CEO Ashley Herrington notes the vital relationship between the hospital and ECTC in providing opportunities for students to gain an education locally, followed by putting the students’ newly developed skills to use locally.
“Together we are actively building the healthcare workforce right here at home. We are ensuring that people in our communities can learn locally, work locally and raise their families locally,” Herrington said.
Pate further stated that the ECTC Leitchfield Campus expansion makes perceptible the “collective commitment (between ECTC and OHTLMC) to work together to give our students new pathways to better lives and to develop a skilled workforce that fuels economic opportunity for our region and beyond.”
Playing significant roles in the expansion were Sen. Steve Meredith and Rep. Samara Heavrin, both of Leitchfield, who exerted influence in Frankfort to ensure the project came to fruition.
Herrington offered special appreciation for Meredith and Heavrin, as she said their “dedicated efforts” will “improve the lives of the communities we serve.”
“This facility is going to open doors for students across Grayson County and beyond,” Heavrin said. “With cutting-edge labs in advanced manufacturing and allied health, students will get hands-on experience preparing for some of the fastest-growing careers in our region.
“This isn’t just a building,” she said, “it is a launchpad for the next generation of skilled workers, innovators, and leaders. By investing in education and workforce development, we’re helping students turn their goals into careers and giving local businesses the talent they need to thrive. The opportunities this facility will provide are enormous, and I’m proud to see our community leading the way in preparing students for the jobs of today and tomorrow.”
Meredith echoed Heavrin in proclaiming that the new ECTC Leitchfield Campus addition will greatly enhance the prospects of local students gaining in-demand healthcare educations that will be put to great use locally.
“With this investment to expand the existing Leitchfield Campus of ECTC, young people and adults alike will now be able to take advantage of the expanded opportunities locally to obtain skills and training in advanced manufacturing and allied health careers,” Meredith said.
“This will prepare them for some of the most in-demand careers within our region of Grayson and surrounding counties.”
The cooperative determination of ECTC and OHTLMC, along with vital support from Meredith and Heavrin, as well as the end-product being constructed by a local company, T&T Construction, showcases the emphasis placed on bolstering Grayson County’s standing in the healthcare community in general, with a specific emphasis placed on providing opportunities for local students to thrive, locally.
“The partnership between our hospital and Elizabethtown Community and Technical College has always been a vital connection for our organization,” Herrington stated. “The Leitchfield campus expansion project helps ensure that healthcare in Grayson County remains strong and vibrant for future generations.”
(Headline photo: Artists rendering of the ECTC Leitchfield Campus expansion)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
