Kentucky Chamber President and CEO Dave Adkisson offered words of wisdom and encouragement to Georgetown College’s Class of 2015 during commencement on Saturday afternoon, while also making a plea on behalf of Kentucky’s business community for a stronger workforce.
“For the economy of Kentucky to grow in the information age, we need more college graduates to take leadership roles,” said Adkisson, who went on to outline three reasons for the college graduates to be optimistic:
- The need for college graduates with bachelor’s degrees is up 15 percent in Kentucky.
- The economy is rebounding after a long recession – in April alone 223,000 new jobs were announced by the U.S. Labor Department, and Kentucky’s unemployment rate is at its lowest level in eight years.
- Baby boomers are retiring at a rate of about 10,000 per day in the country, creating many new opportunities in the workforce
Adkisson, a Georgetown College alumnus, and a member of the school’s Board of Trustees’ Executive Committee, went on to say that employers are now less worried about the economy and more worried about the skills gap in workforce.
“The difference between what employers need and what skills are available from people coming into the market has created a huge gap,” he said, adding, “Your college experience will help you navigate the workforce much better, regardless of your field of study.”
Adkisson’s full 12-minute speech is on YouTube. His comments about Kentucky’s workforce and economy begin at 3:27.
