FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Matt Bevin today attended a ceremony with President Donald J. Trump at the White House celebrating the Pledge to America’s Workers.
Gov. Bevin signed the pledge earlier this year in support of workforce development opportunities for Kentucky workers through apprenticeships, work-based learning programs, continuing education, on-the-job training and re-skilling.
The pledge also recognizes Gov. Bevin’s commitment to improving the portability of workforce credentials across state lines and increased opportunities for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.
“President Trump has dedicated unprecedented resources to supporting America’s students and workers, and today’s ceremony celebrates the administration’s commitment to developing a strong, skilled workforce,” said Gov. Bevin. “I was pleased to sign the Pledge to America’s Workers earlier this year, in recognition of Kentucky’s commitment to training workers for 21st century jobs and opportunities. Our economy is booming and our skilled workforce is the fuel that will keep it burning strong.”
President Trump has encouraged private sector companies and governors across the country to sign the pledge. In July, the President signed an Executive Order establishing the President’s National Council for the American Worker to develop a national workforce development strategy for America’s students and workers.
Today’s event follows Ivanka Trump’s visit to Eastern Kentucky last week to tour three transformative workforce training programs in the state. Ivanka Trump visited with students and instructors during an advanced manufacturing program tour at the East Kentucky Advanced Manufacturing Institute (eKAMI), before traveling to Big Sandy Community and Technical College for a roundtable discussion on workforce development opportunities. She also toured the Space Science Center at Morehead State University and received a briefing on Kentucky’s growing aerospace industry, which is responsible for approximately $1.5 billion in investment in the commonwealth since January 2016.
Ivanka Trump invited Kentuckians Buford Owens, an eKAMI instructor, and Alex Hughes, an Interapt Skills graduate, to attend today’s White House ceremony with Gov. Bevin. Owens is a former Eastern Kentucky underground coal miner who, after losing work at the age of 54, received certification in CNC machining from eKAMI. He now works as an instructor and trainer for the institute. Hughes is a graduate of the Interapt Skills program, a workforce development program that teaches coding and application development skills.
Owens and Hughes had the opportunity to participate in a fireside chat with President Trump during today’s event. President Trump heard the personal stories of both Owens and Hughes and discussed federal and state collaboration to further workforce development initiatives.
As of September 2018, Kentucky’s workforce participation hit a record high with over 2 million Kentuckians working across the state. Gov. Bevin has dedicated unprecedented resources to statewide workforce development programs to support Kentucky students and workers, including the $100 million Work Ready Skills Initiative and the $15.9 million Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship. The state’s registered apprenticeship program, Kentucky Trained. Kentucky Built., supports 253 registered apprenticeships and over 3,300 individual apprentices.
To learn more about Kentucky’s workforce development initiatives, visit: https://educationcabinet.ky.gov/
To view the Pledge to America’s Workers, click here.
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