Bluegrass Community and Technical College has received the largest philanthropic gift in its history, a $2 million commitment from the James A. and Martha R. Brown Charitable Foundation to support development of the college's new workforce and health care education facility in Winchester, according to the Lane Report.

The facility, to be named the James A. and Martha R. Brown Regional Workforce Training Center, will convert a former Amazon call center at 1919 Rolling Hills Lane into an 80,405-square-foot training hub. The project is designed to expand training opportunities across Central Kentucky in manufacturing, skilled trades, health care, transportation and industrial technology.

The center represents Kentucky's first dedicated regional workforce training facility. It will house advanced nursing and allied health laboratories, an immersive ambulance simulator and flexible instructional spaces designed to adapt to changing employer needs. Plans include expanded opportunities for customized industry training through BCTC Workforce Solutions alongside academic nursing and allied health programs.

One of the project's most significant components is a major expansion of nursing capacity. BCTC plans to more than double the number of nursing students it can accommodate at the Winchester campus—a critical addition as Kentucky faces persistent shortages in health care workers. Kentucky hospitals reported 3,899 registered nurse vacancies in 2024, representing approximately 16.5 percent of full-time equivalent positions.

"This extraordinary gift represents a defining moment in the history of Bluegrass Community and Technical College," BCTC Chancellor Greg Feeney said. "The investment will strengthen workforce development across Central Kentucky, expand access to high-demand healthcare programs, and directly impact thousands of students, employers, and communities for generations to come."

BCTC acquired the former Amazon facility in 2024 as part of an expansion of its Winchester-Clark County campus. The college is one of Kentucky's largest community and technical colleges, enrolling more than 19,000 students annually across six campuses in Central Kentucky and working directly with employers through workforce training programs that support more than 2,000 employees each year.

The James A. and Martha R. Brown Charitable Foundation, established in 2018, has supported educational and community initiatives across Kentucky with emphasis on education, health care and economic opportunity. "Supporting educational projects in Kentucky was always important to the Browns and we are delighted to perpetuate their priorities," said Harry Richart of the Brown Foundation.