Kentucky is 48th out of 50 in terms of women in elected office and 46th out of 50 in terms of women-owned businesses. Statistically, only 29 percent of the doctoral students in Kentucky are women. Our tax dollars are paying for public education. As a woman, I want that figure to be at least 50 percent women. Midway College has an important role to play in equalizing and creating a level playing field for women in Kentucky.
Information technology is one of the employment areas that seems to be really hot.
Midway College already had an associate's degree in information systems before I arrived. But through partnerships, Midway is able to offer our students, through distance learning and collaborations, enhanced offerings in the technology field. Midway has been fortunate over time to have support from Lexmark. We want to develop the very specific types of initiatives that you're talking about that are geared to provide workforce support. In Central Kentucky, we have two percent unemployment and a limited number of skilled people in technology.