Overview

Postsecondary education plays a vital role in developing a highly skilled workforce to drive economic growth, especially as automation and outsourcing increase the demand for higher levels of education. However, Kentucky faces one of the lowest workforce participation rates in the nation, limiting economic expansion, increasing reliance on entitlement programs, and reducing state tax revenues. To address this, Kentucky must expand postsecondary access for undereducated, working-age adults to help fill critical labor shortages. CPE will work with institutions to align economic development efforts with the state’s emerging and existing industries while advancing regional stewardship initiatives that foster knowledge exchange for the mutual benefit of the Commonwealth.

Progress in the talent priority area will be measured through the following key performance indicators –

• Graduates Working or Pursuing More Education – Tracks the percentage of certificate, associate and bachelor’s degree graduates working in Kentucky or pursuing additional education one year following graduation. Working status is determined by Kentucky wage records
• Graduate and Professional Degrees - Graduate and professional degrees include the following categories: Master’s, Specialist, Doctoral - Research/Scholarship, Doctoral - Professional Practice and Doctoral - Other.
• Statewide Educational Attainment Rate – The percentage of a population that has a specifical level of education or higher.

Explore Our Dashboards

Graduate and Professional Degrees

Explore graduate and professional credential data by academic programs at Kentucky two- and four-year institutions by year, classification, and more.

Statewide Educational Attainment Rate

Educational Attainment of Kentuckians, 2023

Gains in Educational Attainment

Kentucky is making significant progress toward its 60x30 goal. In 2023, statewide attainment grew to 56.2%, an increase of 1.1 percentage points from 2022 and 5.9 percentage points since 2017. Over 142,000 more Kentuckians have credentials than in 2017. Degree attainment has grown across the board over the period, including graduate and professional degrees (+1.7 pp), bachelor’s degree (+2.5pp), and associate degrees (+0.7 pp). Certificate attainment also grew over the period (+1.2pp). Finally, the proportion of certification holders has remained flat, likely as more individuals are being counted in other (higher) attainment levels.

CPE's Work on This Priority

A primary purpose of postsecondary education is to produce adaptive, highly skilled workers to fuel the economy. CPE collaborates with government, education and workforce partners to ensure Kentucky’s graduates earn high-value credentials that lead to professional employment opportunities.

Healthcare Workforce Collaboratory

On October 30, 180 participants from across healthcare and education sectors, including providers, educators, policymakers and industry leaders, attended the collaboratory. The conference was focused on tackling workforce shortages, strengthening public-private partnerships and exchanging best practices in healthcare training and retention.

Learn more about the HWC

Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund (HWIF)

HWIF matches private donations with public funding to increase Kentucky’s pipeline of healthcare practitioners. During its first year, 46 healthcare partnership proposals were awarded funding, totaling a public/private investment of $13.3M. A total of 27 healthcare partners invested in a HWIF partnership, and 35 healthcare training programs across 21 institutions/training sites were awarded funds. The awarded funds will provide full-tuition scholarships for one or two years to an estimated 794 Kentucky students. Additionally, CPE was able to provide a $150,000 incentive award to EKU’s school of nursing, with the private portion ($75,000) donated by Humana.

Learn more about the HWIF

Healthcare Summer Bridge Grants

CPE awarded a total of $473,501 in seed grants to public and private universities to support summer bridge programs. These grants, up to $56,300 each, helped institutions develop or expand summer programs to introduce high school students to healthcare careers and related postsecondary education opportunities.

Aerospace, Aviation and Defense Investment Fund

The AERO Act is a new statute that facilitates public-private partnerships to address workforce development challenges in Kentucky’s aerospace, aviation and defense sectors. Administered by CPE, the fund accepts donations, and requires all donations to be matched, dollar for dollar, by General Fund disbursements. The fund supports student scholarships and/or equipment for programs to meet emerging workforce demands.

Kentucky Community Learning Network

CPE is leading the transition of Department for Community-Based Services (DCBS) training from Eastern Kentucky University to a consortium of regional institutions: Morehead State University, Northern Kentucky University, and Brescia University. In the interim, CPE will provide governance, financial oversight, curriculum modernization and institutional coordination, supporting over 5,000 DCBS employees and affiliated partners like foster parents and kinship caregivers. The program delivers training across virtual, hybrid and in-person formats, emphasizing regulatory compliance, adult learning best practices and workforce readiness. Training content includes over 400 specialized courses tailored to family support and protection services.

Kentucky Opioid Abatement Grant

The Collegiate Recovery Resource Center (CRRC) program, led by CPE and funded by the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, is a statewide initiative to expand recovery support services on college campuses. Beginning July 1, 2025, the program will fund up to five public colleges or universities to establish campus-based CRRCs serving students in recovery from substance-use disorders. Each CRRC will provide trauma-informed peer recovery support, academic navigation and workforce readiness services through a dedicated physical space and campus coordinator. This funding is awarded through the Opioid Abatement Grant Division and totals $500,000.

Heroes to Healers

Authorized under Kentucky HB 303, CPE oversees H2H, which transitions military-trained healthcare personnel into Kentucky’s civilian healthcare workforce. The program requires KCTCS to develop academic career pathways and bridge programs that award academic credit for military medical experience toward licensure and certification in civilian healthcare roles.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Grant

CPE, in partnership with the University of Kentucky, is leading a statewide initiative to expand artificial intelligence (AI) research capacity among new and emerging researchers, particularly in rural-serving and minority-serving institutions. Supported by the National Science Foundation, this effort focuses on increasing access to the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Pilot, building institutional readiness, and fostering a sustainable AI ecosystem in Kentucky. CPE’s role includes coordinating faculty engagement, hosting regional AI training workshops and establishing a Research Coordination Network to support cross-institutional collaboration.