Gateway to Opportunity

The Sunday Challenger
December 5, 2004

Ready To Work Program Sets Women on Career Path

COVINGTON - Second chances don't necessarily fall into your lap at random. They often come along as opportunities and require hard work. Thirty-year-old Charity Bravard recognized when hers arrived and she's making the most of it.

In May, Bravard began work toward her degree in Information Technology through a Gateway Community and Technical College program called Ready to Work. The program assists single mothers with job-hunting skills, short-term training and other services to make them more attractive to prospective employers.


The Ready to Work program is a partnership between the Kentucky Community College System and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and was designed to promote the success of K-TAP, the Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program.

Bravard, herself a single mother, found out about the program through the Urban Learning Center, a community-based organization that offers postsecondary education to financially disadvantaged inner-city students. While there she earned a 3.7 GPA and received the Distinguished Scholar Urban Learning Center Scholarship.

"She's been quite a success," said Betty Barrett, Ready to Work Coordinator at Gateway.

Working around Other Issues
For single mothers like Bravard, Ready to Work offers work/study programs with opportunities on and off campus. Students earn $8 per hour and can schedule work around their classes. Parents gain work experience while earning income that does not affect their K-TAP checks. Employers have an opportunity to recruit KCTCS programs and graduates.

Barrett said of the 120 students enrolled in Ready to Work at Gateway, 90 percent of the students are women.

"I think a lot of them want something better for their children than what they've had," Barrett said.

Lisa Stevenson, 26, of Newport went to Gateway six years ago. She was working toward becoming a cosmetologist but had to take time off for health reasons. She's back in school, working in a two-year program to become a registered nurse.

"I got the opportunity through the K-Tap program," Stephenson said.

Like Bravard and Stevenson, 18-year-old Amber Tippitt is participating in the work/study program while studying to become an administrative assistant. She works in Barrett's office, handling administrative tasks. Tippitt, who is a single mother of a young daughter, graduated last year from Holmes High School in Covington.

"She said she wasn't a good student until she had her child," Barrett said about Tippitt, who graduated from Holmes with a 4.0 GPA.

"I dream it and they make it happen," Barrett said about the work the three women do for her.

For individuals who are on K-TAP and are interested in the Ready to Work program, their K-TAP case manager can help them obtain money to assist with transportation and car repairs, childcare, interview/work clothes, school supplies, background checks and drug tests, drivers education, eye glasses, dental and health fees, and license fees for study programs. There is also a $250 graduation bonus available.

For information about K-TAP and the Ready to Work, Work Study Program at Gateway Community and Technical College, call (859) 441-4500.

* As of September 2004 the number of Northern Kentuckians in each county enrolled in the Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (K-TAP) were:

Boone
* 210 families
* 129 adults
* 329 children

Campbell
* 561 families
* 339 adults
* 925 children

Kenton
* 888 families
* 484 adults
* 1,473 children

* Statewide enrollment in the program was 32,184 families, 18,821 adults and 51,394 children.

* Medicaid enrollment in Northern Kentucky showed Boone with 6,219, Campbell with 8,505 and Kenton with 16,592.

* Food Stamp Participation in Northern Kentucky:

Boone County
* 1,745 households; 4,338 people; $385,588 funding

Campbell County
* 2,861 households; 6,810 people, $604,492

Kenton
* 6,121 households; 13,878 people; $1,272,624

* Number of Northern Kentucky Children Served in the Child Care Assistance Program:

Boone 783
Campbell 873
Kenton 1,735