To better understand how businesses, education, and other partners can work together to solve Kentucky’s workforce crisis, the Kentucky Chamber Foundation’s Workforce Center has announced that thirty-three leaders representing diverse industries from across the Commonwealth have completed training to become champions of the Kentucky Talent Pipeline Management (TPM®️) initiative.
The TPM®️ Champion Workshop was held on June 23 and 24 at the Kentucky Chamber office in Frankfort. Leaders in business, education, economic development, workforce development, and other areas were able to get first-hand collaborative training on the strategies of TPM®️.
During the workshop, TPM®️ Champions learned about the opportunities that come from building talent supply chains, how to implement TPM®️ in their own communities, and best practices for leveraging TPM®️ resources. Attendees heard from speakers including Deputy Secretary Mary Pat Regan of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, Niki DaSilva of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Center for Education and Workforce, Deb Broberg from RealTime Talent, Minnesota’s employer-led public-private collaborative that specializes in current labor market research and facilitating TPM®️ programs, and others.
“I am so glad I attended the TPM Champion Workshop,” said Kentucky Distillers’ Association Director of Industry Responsibility and Sustainability Sara Barnes. “We are moving along with our distillery industry TPM collaborative, and this workshop gave me so many new ideas, insight, and such a deeper understanding of how it all works together to create a sustainable workforce and future. The other industry partners attending the workshop had such great insight and collaboration.”
TPM®️, established in 2017, is an initiative of the Kentucky Chamber Foundation’s Workforce Center in partnership with the Kentucky Education and Workforce Cabinet and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
To date, TPM®️ has launched more than 30 industry collaboratives, engaged over 250 employers, evaluated over 200 critical jobs, and connected more than 4,000 Kentuckians to jobs, training or work-based learning opportunities. Key sectors of the TPM®️ program have included manufacturing, nursing, aviation, construction, and signature industries including distilling and equine and agriculture.
Kentucky’s TPM®️ program has seven team members, dedicated to various regions and diverse industries throughout the Commonwealth, with the goal of bringing businesses together to increase Kentucky’s skilled workforce.
The 2022 TPM Champions include:
- Lisa Thomas, Bardstown Nelson County Chamber of Commerce
- Hannah Viens, Bardstown-Nelson County Chamber of Commerce
- Mary Oerther, Blackburn Correctional Complex
- Rolando Thacker, Bluegrass Workforce Development Area
- Kim Spreder, Brighton Center
- Monica Remmy, Code Kentucky
- Gina Stough, CVG Airport
- Trish Adams, EKCEP, Inc.
- Keshia Swan, GlowTouch, LLC
- Gerry Duffy, Godolphin
- Ben Haydon, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky
- Alexandra Harper, KEEP Foundation
- Emily Weber, Kentucky Association of Health Cae Facilities/Kentucky Center for Assisted Living
- Angela Rogers, Kentucky Career Center Office of Employer and Apprenticeship Services
- Joe Paul, Kentucky Career Center Office of Employer and Apprenticeship Services
- Jeff Lee, Kentucky Career Center Office of Employer and Apprenticeship Services
- Sean Campbell, Kentucky Career Center Office of Employer and Apprenticeship Services
- Jenni Hampton, Kentucky Career Center Office of Employer and Apprenticeship Services
- Bill Sandell, Kentucky Career Center Office of Employer and Apprenticeship Services
- Kimberly Gester, Kentucky Center for Statistics
- Morgan Kirk, Kentucky Chamber Foundation
- Autumn Windom, Kentucky Chamber Foundation
- Sara Barnes, Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA)
- Sarah Coleman, Kentucky Horse Council
- Stefanie Ebbens-Kingsley, Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board
- Nicki Jones, Locust Trace AgriScience Center
- Shelly Newman, Mubea
- Katie Jo Berkshire Kirkpatrick, Northern Kentucky Area Development District/ Northern Kentucky Workforce Investment Board
- Ashley Runyon, Office of Energy Policy
- Carrie Dillard, Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce
- Jake Brown, South Central Workforce Board
- David Keene, Sullivan University
- Molly Deahl, West Kentucky Workforce Board