KCTCS expands funding for business and industry support via TRAINS

State-backed TRAINS fund to provide more support to Kentucky-based companies 
investing in customized employee training in 2022 

VERSAILLES, Ky. – The Kentucky Community & Technical College System (KCTCS) announced today that their TRAINS program has increased its funding support for qualifying companies. TRAINS offsets the cost of customized training for incumbent worker upskilling, pre-employment training, assessments and apprenticeship programs. KCTCS has expanded financial assistance now offsetting 75 percent (up from 50 percent) of a business’s costs associated with developing tailored talent pipeline initiatives. With funding established by the Kentucky General Assembly, KCTCS is proud to deliver TRAINS-backed projects to help businesses across the Commonwealth equip their current and potential employees with the tools and on-the-job experience to succeed at work and beyond. 

“KCTCS knows firsthand the transformative effect customized training has on companies of every size, their employees and families, as well as on our entire economy,” Dr. Paul Czarapata, KCTCS President, said. “At a time when businesses, employees and our students are facing rising costs, TRAINS will lower the cost of empowering, retaining and recruiting top talent – and, in the process, open doors to greater opportunities for Kentucky workers and businesses alike. Talk about a win-win.”   

The new TRAINS’ 75/25 match could not come at a more critical time. The state is expected to gain 150,000 jobs by 2030 according to KCTCS’s first-of-its-kind Kentucky Education to Workforce (GIS) application.  The latest projections indicate Healthcare and Social Assistance; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services; Transportation and Warehousing; Construction; and Manufacturing will increase by 2030 putting extra pressure on existing businesses to enhance employee satisfaction, productivity, and output. TRAINS will help meet these growing needs by providing employees with the much-needed skills and technical know-how to excel. By partnering with KCTCS and accessing TRAINS, companies will mitigate skills gaps, increase retention and improve their bottom line. 

Since its inception in 2014, TRAINS has invested $29,893,835 dollars in Kentucky business accounting for 72,965 enrollments. As a result of this program, Kentucky companies have invested $16,974,397 in upskilling their employees. KCTCS Workforce Solutions staff has worked directly with thousands of companies to design training programs that are tailored to meet each business’s specific needs in an economic, efficient and time sensitive manner. For more information on TRAINS, please visit https://kctcs.edu/workforce-solutions/