Due to Covid 19 Pandemic in fall of 2020, the usual way of offering training to award continuing education units (CEUs) to workers in Commercial Pesticide Application (CPA) were not possible. For the past 10 years at McCracken County Extension Service workers were able to earn 1 specific and 3 general hours late in the calendar year after the growing season had ended. In 2020, it was not possible as an in-person event. 

In December of 2020, area workers in need of (CEUs) contacted McCracken County Horticulture Agent to ask for a virtual training, to avoid losing their licenses.  Hort Agent contacted UK specialist in the CPA area to ask for help with this, along with the ANR Agent. UK reached out to Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) and made the arrangements for McCracken County to offer a virtual CPA training. The 3 general and 1 specific CEUs for multiple categories, including agriculture applicators, public grounds and roadside applicators were posted on the KDA website on Monday, Dec 14, 2020. The event was set for the morning of Tuesday, Dec 15, 2020. Emails and phone calls poured in on the afternoon of December 14, 2020, since this was the last scheduled training approved by KDA before the end of the calendar year (which is the cut-off for workers to earn CEUs.)

Workers were able to attend the McCracken County CPA training virtually.  Hort Agent sent the information of 14 workers to KDA that afternoon by USPS and also electronically as a back-up plan.  KDA confirmed receiving the information to allow 14 workers to earn the needed CEUs. 

After the event, 3 emails, 1 text message and 1 phone call from workers with CPA licenses and 2 from KDA were received thanking McCracken County Extension for this training. One worker called to say that the virtual training is preferred in the future. This statement was made, “previous years meant driving all over Kentucky to earn enough CEUs.”