Plans to revise workforce training investments across Kentucky were discussed Tuesday at Lexington's City Hall. City officials have had ongoing questions about training strategies for the Lexington area.
There's interest among Lexington leaders to narrow the focus of workforce training in the region. State officials are working now to prepare for implementation of a new federal workforce training act this summer.
Lexington Chief Development Officer Kevin Atkins says it could mean eight million dollars for a concentrated area. "It makes us more attractive in our ability to recruit businesses here because we have a training mechanism to help those employees when those new recruited businesses open," said Atkins.
The current Bluegrass workforce investment effort focuses on 17 central Kentucky counties. Public hearings are planned next week on proposed statewide workforce training boundaries. Council member Jennifer Mossotti says a localized training approach may be the way to go, but she's not fully convinced. "Possibly, but I also understand that we want to work collectively with our other counties as well, so it's a difficult question to make a decision," said Mossotti.
Final decisions could come in late spring. The Lexington Herald Leader reports the chairman of the Bluegrass Workforce Investment Board resigned this week, citing issues between the board and the Bluegrass Area Development District, the agency that oversees its money.
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