The Kentucky Workforce Summit, hosted by the Kentucky Chamber, brought together leaders across the Commonwealth to address critical workforce issues and challenges, share best practices, and foster collaboration among businesses, education institutions, and government agencies.
The State of Kentucky’s Workforce
A panel with Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet Secretary Jamie Link and Deputy Secretary Beth Brinly focused on the current workforce landscape in Kentucky and how the workforce crisis has led to greater collaboration between workforce partners, which includes the business community.
Link said this collaboration must have two common goals to fulfill workforce demand: meet employers’ needs and give workers the best opportunity for a good career. He also stressed the importance of addressing barriers to work, such as access to housing, child care, and transportation, as well as population and retention issues.
“Kentucky has a population issue, and we need to attract more people to the Commonwealth. We have great natural resources, we have great schools, and we have a great quality of life,” said Link.
Brinly highlighted the current state of Kentucky’s workforce, stating the Commonwealth has a population of 4.5 million — this includes 270,000 veterans and 700,000 living in poverty, a $60,000 median household income, 58% workforce participation rate, 57% of working-age Kentuckians having at least some college education, and two jobs for every job seeker.
“Those are just numbers,” said Brinly. “What we know is our workforce in Kentucky is full of hard-working, resilient people with a work ethic I’d put up against any state in the nation.”
The State Opportunity Index: Strengthening the Link Between Education and Opportunity in Kentucky
During a presentation on where Kentucky education stands nationally, Strada Education Foundation President Stephen Moret detailed areas in which Kentucky is leading on the State Opportunity Index, a resource created by Strada to help strengthen the link between education and opportunity. The index shows that Kentucky’s education is leading the way compared to other states in key areas, including clear outcomes, quality coaching, affordability, work-based learning, and employer alignment.
When speaking on Kentucky’s education efforts, Moret shared, “There is no state chamber in the nation doing more to address workforce needs than the Kentucky Chamber.”
Strategies for Talent Attraction and Retention
The Summit also explored ways to attract and retain diverse talent in the workplace. Attendees heard from top employers across Kentucky about their efforts to grow their workforce, diversify their talent pools, and provide opportunities for Kentuckians.
Kaylan Caufield and Kelley Bright of Mercer outlined areas for employers to address employee satisfaction: financial security, employee wellness, trust and transparency, employee values, and technology.
A panel discussion including Kentucky Chamber Board Member Kim Halbauer, Kentucky regional president of Fifth Third Bank, Gary Blinth, director of talent acquisition at Humana, and Kristen Kaelin-Campbell, director of talent and culture at HJI Supply Chain Solutions, shared insights into workforce strategies and leadership qualities essential for navigating talent attraction and business development.
Organizational culture dominated the conversation, in which panelists shared how they build trust and address challenges within their companies. Each leader agreed that putting humans back in human resources is one of the best ways to build culture and attract talent.
“Human capital is the most important capital any company has,” Blinth said. “Human capital is the capital that helps drive the organization and translates assets into profits. How we address human capital and workforce development is critical to any organization’s success.”
Diversifying Talent and Removing Barriers to Work
As employers seek to tap into underutilized talent pools like individuals with disabilities, military veterans, refugees and the blind community, businesses and organizations across Kentucky shared strategies for overcoming employment barriers and fostering an inclusive workforce.
Canopy Founder & CEO Scott Koloms detailed how his company, Facilities Management Services (FMS), has a compassionate approach to leadership and problem-solving, which has led to improved employee retention, work quality, company culture, and profitability. He said creating opportunities like enabling employees to achieve home ownership, car ownership, and access to nutritional food can address larger barriers to success while fostering a motivated and productive workforce.
Meanwhile, University of Kentucky Human Development Institute Director of Evaluation and Data Mykal Leslie Shared that Kentucky has the third-largest disability employment gap in the U.S. with the employment rate for Kentuckians with disabilities aged 18-64 is 32.3%. That number is even larger in Kentucky’s rural areas.
RETAIN Kentucky provides support for individuals so they can stay at work or return to work. When individuals are enrolled, they are paired with a Return-to-Work Coordinator who helps identify goals and an individualized plan to reenter the workforce. The program currently has over 3,000 participants and has enrollment in 113 counties. They have also found that 93% of program completers have returned to work.
They have formed partnerships with groups to expand their reach across the Commonwealth, which includes the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Governor’s Office, the Council of State Governments, and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.
The military population is also a key talent pool for employers as 200,000 men and women leave U.S. military service and return to life as citizens each year, and 5,000 of those individuals come from Fort Knox and Fort Campbell. A panel of major employers including Humana, Amazon, Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport, and GE Appliances shared the return on investment they have found by connecting with the military community.
The panel recommended talent acquisition and human resource professionals use tools like Hire Our Heroes, USA Cares or the Department of Defense’s SkillBridge Program. to help figure out how military job skills transfer to civilian skills.
To bridge the gap between Kentucky’s employers and military community, the Kentucky Chamber Foundation created the Military Hiring Academy in 2024, which includes training from experts, job fairs at military bases, and a certificate from Kentucky Society of Human Resource Management upon completion of the program.
Business leaders also shared opportunities and best practices for attracting and retaining refugee populations and promoting the inclusivity of blind individuals in Kentucky.
Second Chance Hiring
Other barriers to employment and key root causes of Kentucky’s workforce crisis are substance use disorder and justice involvement, according to the Kentucky Chamber Foundation’s report 20 Years in the Making: Kentucky’s Workforce Crisis.
Anne Loehr, senior vice president of the Center for Human Capital Innovation, delivered the first keynote address of the conference highlighting the business case for second-chance hiring. Her presentation included data that can reduce stigma around this population, workforce strategies that can shift organizational culture, and best practices for employers.
“According to SHRM, 82% of management surveyed reported that second-chance hires are as productive or more productive as other hires,” said Loehr. “They’re also 25% less likely to quit, and it’s our job to let them stay.”
Loehr also said that not employing individuals with justice involvement costs the U.S. economy $78-87 billion annually, according to JP Morgan Chase’s research, which demonstrates the impact of second-chance hiring.
“It’s not only good for business and good for the community, but you’ll also get support to implement second chance hiring,” Loehr said, referring to incentive and tax credit programs offered at the federal and state level.
Building Talent Pipelines
Work-based learning is increasingly important for preparing students for their careers. Education leaders discussed the return on investment of registered apprenticeship programs for Kentucky students, schools, and businesses.
Registered apprenticeships have increased in recent years. Between 2013 and 2021, the number of registered active apprentices grew by 88% nationally. Between 2022 and 2023, Kentucky had a 12% increase in active apprentices. This growth led to legislation passed by the General Assembly in 2022 that allows students to pursue career paths through apprenticeship programs using their Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship funds.
The panel underscored the importance of innovative solutions and engaging students early to help advance Kentucky’s workforce needs.
Kentucky Leaders Recognized for Supporting Recovery, Fair Chance Hiring
During the conference, the Recovery Consortium of Kentucky (RECON KY), a consortium to promote long-term recovery in Kentucky, honored its 2024 Kentucky Recovery Hall of Fame inductees:
Nancy Hale, former president and CEO of Operation UNITE, received the Congressman Hal Rogers Award, which recognizes Kentucky policymakers, elected officials, and public officials who have advocated for legislation and public policies to address the addiction crisis and help more Kentuckians reach long-term recovery from substance use disorders.
Burns Brady, MD, posthumously received the Jay Davidson Award for Person in Recovery, which recognizes individuals who have advocated for Kentuckians in their journeys to long-term recovery. Dr. Jay Davidson, co-founder of The Healing Place, accepted the award on behalf of Kasey Brady, wife of the late Dr. Brady.
Logan Aluminum was named the Kentucky Recovery Hall of Fame’s Employer of the Year, which recognizes a business that has championed second-chance employment and helped reduce stigma around recovery in the workplace. Logan Aluminum is a certified Fair Chance Employer by the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy and Kentucky Chamber Foundation.
Additionally, the Kentucky Association of Independent Recovery Organizations (KAIROS) honored Rep. Kim Moser (right), Rep. Samara Heavrin, and Sen. Phillip Wheeler as the first-ever Legislative Champions Award recipients for their work during the 2024 session of the General Assembly.