For information about Work Ready Communities, click here.
Work Ready Communities – Next Generation
History and Background
In 2011, the Commonwealth of Kentucky created
Work Ready Communities program. The program is
designed to align education, workforce development and economic development strategies for the state and within communities by asking for a collaborative approach to meeting goals of the program and a collective application process.
It is a certification framework development by the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board that assures economic developers, site selectors, businesses, and industry that a county has achieved or is working to achieve established criteria approved by committee.
Workforce has been identified as the number one deciding factor when a business is deciding about expanding or locating a new facility. Certification as a Work Ready or Work Ready in Progress community provides evidence of the talent and skilled workforce required to compete in today’s global economy.
Development of Work Ready Communities – Next Generation
During a 2023 community review process of the existing Work Ready Communities, the KWIB identified the importance of the program and built a new framework that reflects the current economic and workforce landscape of regional economies, known as Work Ready Communities – Next Generation. A select number of strategic and talent objectives were identified that reflect community and regional workforce development needs.
Community Strategic Objectives
Strategic Objective 1: Supply and Demand of Regional Skills
- How are communities addressing local talent supply and employment demands?
- What strategic efforts are being done to meet the needs/goals from the industry through an aligned education vision?
- What are the strategies to meet the local in-demand industries as defined by Local Workforce Development Boards?
Strategic Objective 2: Untapped Talent
- Does the community have awareness and engagement of all the non-profit organizations targeting untapped talent pools (individuals with disabilities, veterans, immigrants/refugees, fair chance, recovery, foster youth, etc.)?
- What are the strategic coordination efforts being done to create pipelines into employment?
Strategic Objective 3: Work Based Learning
- What strategies are used to grow skills and fill employment needs through the various work-based learning opportunities, such as career exploration, internships, co-ops, apprenticeships, etc.?
Talent Ready Strategies & Addressing Barriers to Employment
Talent Ready Objective 1: Childcare
- What is the existing landscape of access and affordability, and what strategies are being taken to address the needs of the community?
Data and strategy can include utilizing KYSTATs capacity data and services offered from the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Education.
Talent Ready Objective 2: Affordable Housing
- What kind of housing trends are seen in the community (example: number of units being added annually) and what strategies are utilized to meet the demand?
- How are communities addressing affordable housing?
Data gathering could incorporate the local energy companies to gauge growth by understanding new meters added.
Talent Ready Objective 3: Transportation
- What are the strategies used to grow transportation access and infrastructure to meet community and business needs?
- Can communities quantify the demand for transportation?
Talent Ready Objective 4: Digital Equity & Broadband Infrastructure
- Can communities describe their internet availability across their rural and urban centers?
- Does a community have a digital equity plan or strategy to ensure access for all?
Talent Ready Objective 5: Talent Attraction
- What strategies are being used to actively attract talent locally or regionally?
- Are these strategies aligning with business demand?
Provide opportunities through the Local Workforce Development Board system to submit regional applications; could be a partnership with two or more counties.