The Huntington area’s education providers keep our area’s workforce pipeline strong by developing programs to support the needs of companies like yours. At the K-12 level, Cabell County Schools begins career literacy in the elementary grades, expanding at the middle school level to build student interest in 16 key career clusters, along with Project Lead the Way programs. At the high school level, the area’s high schools and the Cabell County Career Technology Center deliver the technical and soft skills employers need, with programs in metalworking, welding, coding, and others — all presented in realistic workplace environments. The forthcoming Woody Williams Center for Advanced Learning and Careers will bring an additional 240,000 square feet of instructional space to support career development.

Local workers seeking opportunities to enhance employability benefit from established programs at highly regarded campuses. Huntington is best known as the home of 10,000-student Marshall University, which offers more than 80 programs in engineering, IT, chemistry, and others, along with a graduate cybersecurity program. Mountwest Community and Technical College offers more than 50 one-year certificate and associate degree programs in aviation, electronics, automation, machinist, and welding, among others. Through Mountwest’s Learn & Earn program, the college covers part of graduates’ wages.

The Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center in downtown Huntington boasts over $24 million in today’s workplace technology, including 5- and 6-axis CNC machining, CNC abrasive water jets, welding, 3D printing and others, ensuring students gain the skills employers need today. The Cabell County Career Technology Center also provides continuing education for adults and customized training to meet employers’ specific needs.