BY EARNEST WINSTON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FLORENCE - Donald McCord had worked as a customer service agent with US Airways for 36 years. Then, in September 1997, he lost his job in a downsizing. Mr. McCord, who was based at the Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky International Airport, declined the airline's offer to relocate because of family ties in the area.
Suddenly, the Burlington man found himself looking for a new career, and he decided to upgrade his computer skills. With help from the state's Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) program, the 56-year-old attended the Florence-based computer training center, Interactive Learning Systems (ILS).
After Mr. McCord completed the computer software program with a perfect 4.0 grade point average, Marcia Loos, ILS' director, offered him a job there. He's been an instructor since January. On Wednesday, Mr. McCord was among 25 Kentuckians to receive the JTPA Award from the state's Cabinet for Workforce Development. He was told on Nov. 9 that he won the award.
"I was really surprised when I got the call," Mr. McCord said. "Surprised and elated, both."
By Thursday morning, he still hadn't told his students of the award. "That was an 'oops' on my part," he said.
"He's very quiet in some respects," said student Patricia Herrmann of Independence. "We can call him a thousand times a day, and he comes over and he's still got a smile. He will help you until you know the subject. I find very few individuals with that type of personality."
Lana Fountain, coordinator for the Dislocated Worker Program of the Covington Department for Employment Services, helped Mr. McCord enroll in the program and nominated him for the award.
"Mr. McCord's outlook was totally different than most people I come in contact with. He felt like (learning computer skills) would be a challenge to him," she said.
Mr. McCord said he misses the people he worked with at US Airways. He keeps in touch with about 15 people via e-mail. "I like being around people. Thirty-six years in the airline industry, you develop a few people skills," he said.
JTPA programs prepare people for employment by providing job training and other services. A total of 21,357 Kentuckians participated in JTPA programs last year.
