Aug. 12 deadline for first round of applications
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 5, 2016) – Project pre-applications for the first round of the Commonwealth’s new $100 million statewide workforce development bond fund are due Friday, Aug. 12.
Announced by Governor Matt Bevin, Education and Workforce Development Cabinet Secretary Hal Heiner, and Cabinet for Economic Development Acting Secretary Erik Dunnigan in July, the Kentucky Work Ready Skills Initiative is aimed at developing a highly trained, modernized workforce to meet the needs of employers and promote sustainable incomes for Kentuckians.
“We have received tremendous feedback about this exciting new program from across the state,” said Heiner. “It appears that many Kentucky communities are assembling the essential partnerships—private sector employers, high school/secondary technical schools, and postsecondary institutions—required for this program.”
The Work Ready Skills Initiative infuses resources to expand career and technical education facilities and to upgrade equipment in those schools to current and future industry standards through local partnerships between private industry and educational institutions. The locally driven initiatives will train and educate workers to meet the workforce needs of Kentucky’s employers now and in the future.
Eligible projects include: construction and equipping of a new facility to provide workforce training and education, renovation or enhancement of an existing facility, purchase of new or upgraded equipment, and first-year marketing expenses. Applicants must provide at least a 10 percent match for all projects.
The nine-member Work Ready Skills Advisory Committee will review all pre-applications in late August, notify successful pre-applicants, and invite them to submit a full project application.
This committee includes cabinet secretaries for Education and Workforce Development, Economic Development, and Labor, the chair of the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board (KWIB), three employers nominated by the governor, one member nominated by the president of the Kentucky Senate, and one member nominated by the speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives.
Pre-application forms can be downloaded and submitted at www.KentuckyWorkReady.com. An informational webinar hosted by Sec. Heiner and Acting Sec. Dunnigan can also be viewed at this site.
For additional program details, please call 502-564-0372 or email [email protected].
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