FRANKFORT, Ky. — Bluegrass State Skills Corp. (BSSC) approved nearly $4.3 million in funding and credits to assist with workforce training for more than 19,000 Kentucky employees during this month’s meeting, pushing the state’s support in fiscal year 2023 to over $10 million for 115 applicants throughout the state to train nearly 35,000 workers.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced the training funds and credits, saying it highlights Kentucky’s continued investment in workforce training initiatives.
“Kentucky’s economy is on fire right now. We’re seeing continuous growth in every industry, and with that comes the need for a skilled workforce,” Gov. Beshear said. “Programs like the Bluegrass State Skills Corp. aid employers across the state and ensure we have the workforce to meet our companies’ needs. With today’s announcement, the commonwealth has provided assistance for nearly 35,000 Kentuckians this fiscal year.”
Approvals during this month’s BSSC meeting support workforce training in communities across the state, including more than 10,600 trainees between Ford Motor Co.’s two facilities in Louisville, with 3,051 trainees from the Ford Louisville Assembly Plant on Fern Valley Road and 7,592 trainees from the Ford Motor Co. Kentucky Truck Plant on Chamberlain Lane. Other approvals include 2,875 trainees at Metalsa Structural Products, Inc. in Elizabethtown, nearly 540 trainees at Shelby County Associated Industries Inc. in Shelbyville, over 300 trainees at Highlands Diversified Services Inc. in London and almost 300 trainees at RFC LLC in Shelbyville.
With approvals, fiscal year to date BSSC programs have provided $17 million in funds and credits since July 2021. Those funds assisted with workforce training to support more than 69,000 trainees.
The BSSC’s Grant-in-Aid (GIA) and Skills Training Investment Credit (STIC) programs assist employers throughout the commonwealth. GIA provides cash reimbursements for occupational and skills upgrade training at Kentucky businesses, while STIC offers state income tax credits for companies to offset the costs for approved training programs. Applications for both programs are accepted and considered for approval by the BSSC Board of Directors.
BSSC incentives are available to a range of operations, including manufacturing, agribusiness, nonretail service or technology, headquarters operations, state-licensed hospital operations, coal severing and processing, alternative fuel, gasification, renewable energy production and carbon dioxide transmission pipelines.
For more information on BSSC or to apply for workforce training assistance, visit the BSSC webpage.
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