KansasEnergyWORKs (Formerly EnergyNET)

 In response to a graying energy workforce and expected retirements, the Kansas Department of Commerce (Commerce) and the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) invested in the KANSASEnergyWORKS (formerly EnergyNET) initiative. This innovative collaboration was developed among energy sector employers, Kansas community and technical colleges, Commerce and KBOR. The goals are to establish a statewide system responsive to the training needs of energy sector employers; define the skills, competencies, and credentials required by employers in the energy industry; deliver industry-approved curriculum validated by employers and ensure standard outcomes are achieved; enhance the delivery system for energy programs to include hybrid and on-line education and increase accessibility and flexibility to better meet the needs of working adult learners; utilize the public community and technical college partners to supply training in a cooperative model; provide energy education and training throughout the state using the partnership to reduce duplication and maximize investment of public funds; and conduct outreach efforts to deliver more training to incumbent and emerging workers in the energy industry.

For further information, please contact Mike Michaelis, Director, or visit KansasenergyWORKs

 Kansas Nursing Initiative

The Kansas Nursing Initiative was developed to address the growing nursing shortage in the state, providing needed resources to our nursing education programs which would enable them to increase their capacity of nursing students.

A major component of this initiative is a ten-year grant, subject to annual appropriation from the Legislature, making available $ 1.9 million annually to both public and privately funded educational institutions with registered nursing programs. In addition, this initiative provides $200,000 annually for the Nurse Educator Scholarship Service program. In the first year of this initiative, an additional $2 million was made available for nursing equipment and facilities upgrades. Over the ten-year lifespan (July 2006 to June 2016) of this initiative, a total of $23 million will have been invested by the state to increase the education of additional registered nurses. 

The First Six Years Consolidated Report (PDF)
Nursing Initiative Grant Annual Report Template 
Nursing Initiative Grant Management 101, 2013 
2014 Grant Fund Expenditures Budget Form  
2014 Letter of Intent to Participate
2014 Nursing Semi-Annual Certificate
Liaisons For KSBN Meeting (PDF) 

Rigorous Programs Of Study (RPOS) Grant

The Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR), in collaboration with the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), was awarded a Rigorous Program s of Study (RPOS) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Entitled, “Career Ready Kansas” (CRK), the grant initiative showcases four secondary and five postsecondary partners delivering rigorous programs of study (POS) to improve student learning outcomes and respond to changing workforce and economic development needs in Kansas. Focused on Manufacturing, Kansas will develop and implement a rigorous POS for the Manufacturing-Production Career Cluster. Utilizing state-approved pathways, Kansas students will attain the advanced academic and technical skills needed for the high demand, high wage, knowledge based jobs these occupations require.

For further details on this grant initiative, please contact state-federal-grants@ksbor.org  or visit the KSDE RPOS Web Page 

Accelerating Opportunity: Kansas (AO-K)

Accelerating Opportunity: Kansas (AO-K) is a groundbreaking demonstration project that is transforming our delivery system for adult education. AO-K uses Career Pathways to deliver career and technical education simultaneously with adult basic skills instruction. Students complete short term certificate programs aligned with labor market needs, leading to industry endorsed credentials and immediate jobs. Kansas is part of a national initiative managed by Jobs for the Future and funded by five philanthropies – Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Joyce Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, Kresge Foundation, and Open Society Foundations. Kansas received $1.8 million for both design and implementation phases. 

Nine community and technical colleges are implementing Accelerating Opportunity: Kansas: Butler Community College, Dodge City Community College, Garden City Community College, Hutchinson Community College, Kansas City Kansas Community College, Neosho Community College, Seward County Community College, Washburn Institute of Technology and Wichita Area Technical College. In addition to Kansas, Accelerating Opportunity is also implemented in four other states: Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina and Louisiana.

Accelerating Opportunity Initiative Helps the Nation Get Back to Work
--Press Release from Jobs for the Future.