Everybody Counts is a dynamic new initiative from Team Kentucky that provides a clear pathway to success for qualifying seniors graduating from participating Kentucky school districts. The initiative benefits graduating seniors as well as businesses, local communities, and Kentucky's economy.
The Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet (ELC) became the lead agency responsible for administering the State Digital Equity Plan. The Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program is administered separately under the guidance of the Kentucky Office of Broadband Development (OBD). The ELC has collaborated with the OBD while developing the Kentucky Digital Equity Plan. BEAD and Digital Equity funds will be used to implement broadband infrastructure expansion and digital equity/digital inclusion programs as part of the Commonwealth's Better Internet Plan.
Kentucky is one of seven states involved in the Launch: Equitable and Accelerated Career Pathways for All Impact Cohort. Launch is a national college and career pathway initiative that strives for every learner to have access to and succeed in high quality and equitable pathways through opportunities in advising and student supports, work-based learning, credentials of value, and seamless transitions between K12, postsecondary, and the workforce.
The Commonwealth Education Continuum (CEC) exists to strengthen Kentucky's education pipeline. Its work addresses the moral imperative for students to have access and opportunity to earn degrees and credentials that lead to sustainable, competitive-wage careers.
Analyzing Benefit Cliffs
Families' benefit cliffs occur when an increase in parents' income causes them to lose access to a public benefit program, and the loss of the benefit results in a negative drop or “cliff" in net resources. These cliffs leave families with reduced financial resources even as
earnings increase.
When faced with benefit cliffs, parents may elect to leave the workforce, turn down new jobs or promotions, or avoid working additional hours in order to continue to receive benefits for themselves and their families. Benefit cliffs can trap workers in employment with lower salaries and limited hours of work, preventing advancement and prosperity. For some families, these cliffs keep them in poverty, unable to move beyond low-income wages. Alternatively, if workers “power through" benefit cliffs, the resulting loss of net resources can be significant enough to return them to poverty before they can increase their earnings further.
Kentucky is focused on understanding where cliffs happen, what strategic objectives can be completed administratively, and how to maximize the opportunity for individuals on benefits to reenter the workforce while educating businesses on this issue. Such action is best taken collectively through continuous collaboration between the appropriate stakeholders including the Education and Labor Cabinet (ELC), the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), employers, community-based organizations, and the individuals who are impacted. If reentering the workforce into a good job is the priority with minimal impact from the benefit cliffs, then the stakeholders at the table have an obligation to find solutions.
To ensure improved recruitment and retention among Kentucky businesses, and to increase opportunity to attain a living standard for Kentucky jobseekers and workers, the job quality principles provide a framework to building pathways to career opportunities.
Reentry Programming/Jobs on Day One/Putting Kentuckians First
The commonwealth has various programs with an approach to target the current and formerly incarcerated Kentuckians with skills and preparation for successful reentry into the workplace with immediate job placement. Such programs are known as Reentry Programming, Jobs on Day One, and Putting Kentuckians First. Information on these programs can be found on Kentucky’s
Second Chance website.
A collective team-based approach to business services through the combined commitment to improved measurement, coordination, and delivery of workforce development solutions and services to Kentucky employers.
Work-Based Learning (WBL) is a critical component to training individuals and exposing youth, traditional jobseekers, and workers to opportunities within a career. The key to successful WBL is to have the employer at the center of the program as the spectrum of WBL stretches from career exposure, exploration, engagement, and experience. Various state programs are currently providing opportunities to individuals and employers on the spectrum of WBL, such resources are: the Kentucky Department of Education’s Office of Career and Technical Education (CTE)
Work-Based Learning Manual; career exposure via Kentucky Chamber Foundation’s
Bus to Business initiative; summer internship opportunities through local workforce development boards; industry-run manufacturing apprenticeships via the
Kentucky Federation of Advanced Manufacturing Education (KY-FAME) model; and the
Kentucky’s Registered Apprenticeship services.