Workforce Initiatives

Overview

The primary purpose of Kentucky’s postsecondary education institutions is to produce adaptive, highly skilled workers to fuel the economy. To strengthen the system’s outcomes, the Council’s Workforce Initiatives Unit focuses on aligning state workforce needs with higher education’s initiatives, programs and curriculums.

Currently, the Council is working with employers, postsecondary institutions, community organizations and government entities to increase the talent pipeline in the following areas:

Specialty Area/High-Need Professions

• Aviation/AERO Act

Healthcare-Focused Initiatives

• Healthcare Workforce Collaborative
• Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund
• Heroes to Healers
• CLIMB-Health

Recovery-Focused Initiatives

• Collegiate Recovery Resource Centers

Reentry-Focused Initiatives

• Prison Education

Community-Focused Initiatives

• Community Learning Network

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Bringing campuses together to improve career development

Campus career development services offer students the opportunity to receive assistance in various aspects of their academic and career journey, such as choosing a major, crafting a career path and more. CPE convenes the Career Development Officers (CDO) workgroup to improve collaboration, sharing innovative ideas, policies, best practices and strategies for student success. For more information about participating in the CDO workgroup, contact Mary Jackson at 502-892-3236 or by email at mary.jackson@ky.gov.

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Staff Contacts

If you are an employer interested in creating partnerships with a postsecondary institution or learning about what grant opportunities exist to help us increase the talent pool in your region, contact us!

Leslie M. Sizemore, PhD.
Vice President, CPE Workforce and Economic Development
leslie.sizemore@ky.gov | 606-813-3212

Miles Feroli, Ph.D.
Executive Director, CPE Workforce and Economic Development
miles.feroli@ky.gov | 502-892-3124

Jan Goldman
Senior Fellow, CPE Workforce and Economic Development                                                                       
Executive Director, Kentucky Community Learning Network
jan.goldman@ky.gov | 502-892-3193

Mary Jackson
Senior Associate, CPE Workforce and Economic Development
mary.jackson@ky.gov | 502-892-3236

Amanda Cooper
Associate, CPE Workforce and Economic Development
acooper@ky,gov