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How can the Louisville area ramp up an inclusive, tech-savvy workforce ready to tackle the rapidly developing knowledge economy? That’s one of the key issues bringing together national and local experts and innovators at the 4th annual Tomorrow’s Talent workforce and education summit.

The summit will also include breakout sessions and TED-style presentations featuring an eclectic lineup of presenters and topics. Mayor Greg Fischer, who has championed inclusiveness and has made scaling up Louisville’s tech-talent pipeline a top education and workforce priority, will attend and present.

The event is Friday, Dec. 14, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the Muhammad Ali Center, 144 N. Sixth St. Registration is free at www.kentuckianaworks.org/summit.

The keynote speakers will be:

  • Neeli Bendapudi, President, University of Louisville, who was selected earlier this year to lead the university following a nationwide search. She most recently served as Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor at the University of Kansas. Her vision is to ensure that the University of Louisville is a great place to learn, work, and invest because it celebrates diversity, fosters equity, and strives to achieve inclusion;
  • Heather Cox, Chief Digital Health and Analytics Officer, Humana, who is accountable for building the company’s digital care delivery operations and leading enterprise analytics. Prior to joining Humana, Cox served as Chief Technology and Digital Officer at USAA, and as CEO of Citi FinTech at Citigroup, helping that company adapt to a future dominated by mobile technology.

Tomorrow’s Talent is presented by KentuckianaWorks, 55,000 Degrees, Greater Louisville Inc., and the Greater Louisville Project, with funding from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Humana, and UPS. Light refreshments begin at 8 a.m., and lunch will be provided.

Registration is now open for Tomorrow’s Talent, a workforce and education summit that brings together national and local experts to focus on ways for young people to realize their full potential in education and the workforce — creating the maximum impact to the regional economy.

The event is from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8, at the Muhammad Ali Center. Registration is free.

Tomorrow’s Talent is presented by KentuckianaWorks, 55,000 Degrees and Greater Louisville Inc., with funding from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation and UPS.

The keynote speaker will be Richard V. Reeves of the Brookings Institution, where he is Senior Fellow, Economic Studies and Co-Director of the Center on Children and Families. His research focuses on social mobility, inequality, and family change. Prior to joining Brookings in 2013, he was director of strategy to the UK’s Deputy Prime Minister.

Reeves’ latest book is Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Middle Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why That Is a Problem, and What to Do about It.
In September 2017, Politico magazine named Reeves one of the top 50 thinkers in the U.S. for his work on class and inequality.

Additional breakout sessions, lightning talks and TED-style presentations will feature an eclectic lineup of presenters and topics.

Mayor Greg Fischer, who has launched initiatives such as Cradle to Career and the SummerWorks jobs program to maximize youth achievement, will attend and present.

Light refreshments begin at 8 a.m., and lunch will be provided.

Tony Crawford says his life has “taken a big turn for the better” since landing a production job at Louisville’s Bigelow Tea, and he credits a training program offered by the Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center.

“The training was pretty intense and not easy at all, but definitely worth it,” said Crawford, 31, who’d been laid off from a previous job. “Graduation day, when we got our training certificates, there were 12-15 companies lined up in the room wanting to hire us. The training and support the center provided are the reason I have this job today.”

Crawford was recognized today by Mayor Greg Fischer as the one thousandth person placed into a job by the center, a one-stop facility that provides training and resources to meet the rising demand for skilled workers in the Louisville region.

Crawford credits the training for preparing him well for his new job and for securing a slightly higher wage than he would have gotten without the course.

(Learn more about training at the Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center by calling (502) 276-9711, or at kentuckianaworks.org.)

The facility is located at 160 Rochester Dr., Building W, in the Airport Industrial Center in south Louisville.

The center, which opened in May 2013, also provides English as a Second Language classes, job fairs and other support for job seekers and employers. It’s operated by KentuckianaWorks, the Workforce Development Board for the Louisville area.

“Manufacturing is thriving in the Louisville region, and this center is vital in providing individuals the training and confidence they need to succeed – and connecting them with employers who need workers ready to hit the ground running, with the right skill set and motivation,” Mayor Fischer said.

The center’s career coaches help match job seekers with available manufacturing jobs and make sure they have the right training and skills for the work.

“As Louisville continues to serve as a shining example of the revitalization of our nation’s manufacturing sector, the Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center has been an important part of that success, providing hard-working Kentuckians with the tools and know-how they’ll need to thrive in the jobs of tomorrow,” said Congressman John Yarmuth. “I’m incredibly proud to be part of today’s announcement of the 1,000th job placement, and look forward to thousands more as the center continues its important work.”

Several training courses are offered at the center, including Certified Production Technician (CPT) training. Individuals who complete the four-week course often have a competitive advantage over job applicants who lack the training. A more intensive, two-week course is also available.

Since 2013, individuals have earned more than 3,000 training certificates and credentials at the center, including the CPT.

GE Appliances is among the more than 100 area companies who have hired individuals trained or referred by the center. The company has employed 45 people referred by the center since it opened in 2013.

“As the labor market continues to be a challenge, training people for careers in manufacturing is critical for companies such as GE Appliances,” said Tom Quick, Vice President, Human Resources at GE Appliances.  “We appreciate the partnership with the KMCC.”

In addition to referring workers, the center also offers employers a place to post job openings and to access basic manufacturing skills training for existing employees.

“We believe in the work of this industry-specific career center because it’s an effective way to help fulfill our mission of improving people’s lives through the dignity of work,” said Michael Gritton, executive director of KentuckianaWorks.

Partners in the center are the Louisville Redevelopment Authority, Jefferson Community and Technical College, Jefferson County Public Schools – Adult Education and Career and Technical Education, Kentucky Department of Workforce Investment, Preeminent Training Specialists, ResCare Workforce Services and Vision of Hope Ministries, Inc.

The Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center is funded by a mix of local foundation grants and federal dollars. Start-up funding from the National Fund for Workforce Solutions in 2013 was matched by local groups including: Community Foundation of Louisville, Gheens Foundation, James Graham Brown Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, and PNC Foundation. Funding is also currently provided by the Louisville Redevelopment Authority. Additional annual funding comes from the U.S. Dept. of Labor, through the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act.

Free training to quickly prepare Louisville residents for good jobs in construction, manufacturing and other fields is available in west Louisville, and new classes are starting soon, Mayor Greg Fischer announced today.

Applications are being accepted now for training courses that range from two to seven weeks and will help participants connect to the many jobs created by the city’s building boom, or in manufacturing at companies such as GE, Ford, Algood Foods, Dakkota Integrated Systems and other companies.

Also, the REimage re-entry program is enrolling young people involved in the court system to help them stay in school, get a job or in dealing with family and social issues – with the goal of breaking the cycle of violence.

Job training and re-entry programs are Louisville Metro Government priorities and were high on the recently released 10-point plan of suggestions to reduce violence from the Brothers Reaching Brothers and Community Connections citizens’ group.

“Giving an individual the basic skills, support and connections to opportunities that are out there right now can turn that person’s life around, change their family’s outlook, and change their neighborhood,” said Mayor Fischer. “Most people just need that one break, that one opportunity. Incrementally, that helps reduce the hopelessness and violence, one person at a time.”

Classes for Kentuckiana Builds, which prepares people for construction-related jobs, are based at the Nia Center, 2900 W. Broadway. The manufacturing training is being held at Nia and at the Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center, 160 Rochester Dr., in south Louisville.

More on the programs:

  • Kentuckiana Builds is a seven-week program with participants receiving training that prepares them for building trades such as plumbing, pipefitting and carpentry.  Students meet four hours each day, five days a week.  Those completing the training receive job placement assistance and other supportive services, such as financial empowerment and housing assistance. The next trainings are Jan. 23 for a class meeting in the evenings, and a daytime class starting on Feb. 6. Persons interested should attend an orientation session, held twice weekly at the Louisville Urban League, 1535 W. Broadway. For more information, call 566-3371 or go to kentuckianabuilds.org.

Kentuckiana Builds is a partnership between the Louisville Urban League, KentuckianaWorks, The Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, the Jesus and a Job program and New Legacy Re-Entry Corporation.

The program is designed to get more people, especially women and minorities, quickly prepared to work on major projects under way or planned, including the expansion of the Kentucky International Convention Center, the Omni Hotel and many other hotel projects and new bourbon distilleries and tourism facilities.

  • Manufacturing training is available through a shorter, two-week program, the Manufacturing Training and Employment Connection (M-TEC) and a more intensive 30-day program, the Certified Production Technician (CPT) course. In 2016, the two programs have graduated more than 150 individuals, with more than 105 securing jobs with an average hourly pay of about $14.25. The next classes begin Jan. 3 with additional offerings in February, March and May. For more information or to enroll in either training program, call 276-9711, extension 4001.
  • REimage is a city-funded initiative that helps stop the cycle of crime and violence by intervening with youth, ages 14-24, who have been charged with a crime or are at high risk of criminal behavior. Case managers and adult volunteer mentors work with the young people in the program.

Recruitment for REimage, which is run by KentuckianaWorks, focuses on the Russell, Shawnee and Park Hill neighborhoods of west Louisville, although eligible youth from any neighborhood can participate. Young people wanting to enroll in the program or adults who would like to volunteer as mentors can call 574-4115 or apply online at kentuckianaworks.org.

“These training programs are designed to quickly get people prepared and employed in business sectors where there is high demand and a clear path to job and wage growth,” said Michael Gritton, executive director of KentuckianaWorks, the region’s workforce development agency.  “The bottom line is helping people succeed, and helping our community and region succeed.”

“Identifying and helping minorities secure jobs that will improve their family’s standard of living is a strong focus for the Louisville Urban League,” said Sadiqa Reynolds, president and CEO of LUL.  “This often requires developing training programs and initiatives that can prepare minority groups to seize opportunities.”

Kentuckiana Builds orientations and classes:

  • Orientation: Thurs., Dec. 29,, 5:30 p.m. at Louisville Urban League, 1535 W. Broadway
  • Orientation: Thurs., Jan. 5, 10 a.m. at Louisville Urban League
  • Jan. 23 – evening class begins at Nia Center, 2900 W. Broadway
  • Feb. 6 – daytime class begins at Nia Center

M-TEC manufacturing classes in 2017:

  • 3 – 13 at the NIA Center, 2900 W. Broadway
  • 13 – 24 at the Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center, 160 Rochester Drive,
  • March 6 – 17 at the Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center

CPT manufacturing classes in 2017: 

  • 9 – Feb. 3 at the Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center
  • March 6 – 31 at the NIA Center
  • May 1 – 26 at the Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center
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