Gov. Beshear awards Work Ready Community certification to
Trigg County
FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 16, 2013) – Governor Steve Beshear announced today that Trigg County has been certified as a Kentucky Work Ready Community in Progress.
The Kentucky Work Ready Communities certification program from the Kentucky Workforce Investment Board (KWIB) and the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet assures employers that a local workforce has the talent and skills necessary to staff existing jobs and to master the innovative technologies new jobs will require.
“We are excited that Trigg County has achieved Kentucky Work Ready Community in Progress status and we look forward to certifying many others in the future. Kentucky Work Ready Community in Progress status is not an easy accomplishment. Trigg County leaders are to be commended for working together to achieve this goal,” said Crystal Gibson, chair of the Kentucky Work Ready Communities Review Panel and vice president of Public Affairs at Citigroup.
Trigg County Judge Executive, Hollis Alexander stated: “This certainly is exciting news for Trigg County. It will allow us to market ourselves to the labor market in a very positive manner as a Work Ready In-Progress Community as well as the ability to market ourselves as a Work Ready Region since we are contiguous with other designated counties. I would like to thank everyone that has worked so hard on this project especially the team that coordinated this initiative with months of research and hard work: Sharon Butts Executive Director, Cadiz-Trigg County Economic Development, Travis Hamby, Superintendent Trigg County Public Schools, Beth Sumner Assistant Superintendent Trigg County Public School, Brenda Southwick, Trigg County Public Schools Community Education Director, Don Leibee, EDC Chairman, Dan Bozarth, EDC Board Member, Cindy Sholar, Cadiz Chamber of Commerce Director, Andrea Hampton, Trigg County Adult Education Director, Tara Rascoe, Hopkinsville Community College Workforce Solutions Coordinator, George Radford, Trigg Industrial Managers Association President, Cammie Evans, Trigg County Public Schools College & Career Planner, Beth Mann, Cadiz Chamber of Commerce President, Roger Phillips, Director of Breathitt Career Center, and Tom Sholar, West Kentucky Workforce Investment Board.”
City of Cadiz, Mayor Lyn Bailey stated: “This is a great accomplishment for our community in which it signifies to companies looking for a place to locate and businesses we have already have in place, that we have demonstrated through this process we have a strong skilled workforce that is ready to work and that Cadiz-Trigg County is dedicated to continually striving to improve its workforce to be among the best Kentucky has to offer. We can take pride in the fact that our community values the education, training and skills development, which directly impacts our quality of life and sustainability for future generations.”
Trigg County was designated as a Kentucky Work Ready Community in Progress because it is close to meeting the criteria to be certified as a Kentucky Work Ready Community. To achieve this level, a county must present a viable plan to meet all of the criteria within three years. The designation shows that a community is making strides and working with its business, education, workforce and economic development leaders to set and meet common goals that will give the county an economic edge.
“Trigg” County is a role model for other communities that want to demonstrate a commitment to reaching education, workforce and economic development goals that make their communities a desirable place for businesses,” said Joseph U. Meyer, secretary of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.
Kentucky is the third state to begin certifying counties as Work Ready Communities based on the quality of their labor force. To become certified, communities must gather local support and commitment and apply for the Kentucky Work Ready Community designation. Counties have to meet criteria in six areas including high school graduation rate, National Career Readiness Certificate holders, demonstrated community commitment, educational attainment, soft-skills development and digital literacy.
Applications for the certification were reviewed by a panel appointed by the KWIB. The panel recommended certification by the board for the counties that met the criteria. The panel will meet four times a year to review applications, which can be submitted at any time.
For more information about the Kentucky Work Ready Communities program, go to http://workready.ky.gov.
