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    A banner year for training the workforce

    by Dr. Paul Czarapata - October 10, 2022

    There are always a number of great things happening at KCTCS. One of the most exciting for me right now is the release of our new Workforce Solutions annual report that shows last year was our highest performing year ever. 

    Workforce Solutions offers a range of options to address the challenges of today’s employers. From new hire and incumbent worker training to apprenticeship and work-based learning, our Workforce Solutions team helps companies increase retention, attract a skilled and reliable workforce, and improve employee productivity and satisfaction.

    One important aspect of Workforce Solutions is TRAINS. This program, funded by the state legislature each year, allows us to offer customized training programs for businesses at a greatly reduced cost. With KCTCS TRAINS funding, businesses can offset the cost of eligible workforce training initiatives by up to 75%.

    What has my attention right now is the huge increase we saw in companies taking advantage of these discounts from FY 2021 to FY 2022. TRAINS showed a 105% increase in the number of projects completed. New businesses enrolled in TRAINS increased by 147% and employee enrollment was more than 19,000, which was up 41% over the previous year.

    The top business sectors impacted by TRAINS were manufacturing, health care, logistics and business services.

    At KCTCS, training Kentucky’s workforce is not just a priority for us, but also part of our mission. With so many businesses investing in Kentucky, such as BlueOval SK in Hardin County, it’s never been more important for KCTCS to get the workforce ready. 

    Existing Kentucky businesses have been facing a challenge of too few workers for the last several years. The Commonwealth has thousands of job openings and not enough skilled people to fill them. That’s why building Kentucky’s workforce pipeline is one of my highest priorities. 

    Kentucky is poised to become a go-to state for business growth. We have the land, water, affordable electric power, interstates and much more. It’s our job to make sure the workforce is ready, whether through our Workforce Solutions training or our academic programs. I’m excited for the future of Kentucky and for KCTCS!