We recently closed our Northwest Kentucky Workforce Survey. This online survey sought to understand what companies thought of their current workforce, the applicant pool, and schools/colleges/training providers.
We sent links to the survey to all of the companies served by NWKF’s Existing Business program and we had 47% response rate! We will be analyzing the results over the next few weeks and then meeting with our education providers to discuss. We will also make the results available then.
Thanks to all of our companies for participating!
The Northwest Kentucky Workforce Skills Survey is open for a few more days. This comprehensive survey of employers seeks to drill down to specific skills and abilities employers are expecting/needing.
Once compiled, the Survey results will be shared with area schools, colleges and training providers to provide a more in-depth understanding of what employers are expecting. NWKF intends to use this to further the relationship and dialogue between employers and education providers.
The Survey can be accessed from the NWKF homepage.
The Northwest Kentucky Forward Annual Report for FY 09–10 (year ending 30 June 2010) is now available. Among the highlights are the following:
- Major Reinvestment at Rio Tinto Alcan;
- Location of software developer IWT;
- 150 project leads
- 22 active projects
- 100% visitation of all qualified existing businesses
- 9 expansions
- $2 million for training
- 35 Jumpstart and Micro-loans
- 42 new business start-ups
- Next Rally4Education scheduled for 6 November.
NWKF believes that education excellence and lifelong learning are essential for a competitive workforce. Our goal is to encourage involvement and support for schools to foster excellence. The following are two accounts of unique initiatives occurring in Northwest Kentucky schools:
Ellie Wright, Education and Workforce Coordinator, recently visited 3 Union County Elementary schools with UCPS Superintendent Josh Powell. Among the impressive sights, seeing 2nd graders who are learning to speak Chinese. Not only were they counting to 100 in Chinese, but the teacher was speaking almost exclusively in Chinese to the students!
Also, the most recent NWKF board meeting was held in the library at McLean County High School. A presentation was made on the school’s new dual-enrollment program with a local college. Nearly one-third of all seniors are enrolled in dual credit courses earning credits towards both high school diplomas and college!
NWKF again partnered with Henderson County High School to sponsor a community open house for the school’s Career & Technical Unit. A “sleeping giant”, the CTU is one of the largest technical/vocational training programs in the Commonwealth with well more than 1000 students taking classes each year.
NWKF works with the school to make sure that 1) the business community is aware of the programs available in the CTU, 2) that the school communicates with the businesses on what their needs are and ensuring they are producing graduates with the necessary skills and 3) that parents understand the opportunities available to their children in the CTU.
NWKF looks forward to continuing to partner with all of our schools to make sure that we are pursuing excellence and providing opportunities for all students.
Northwest Kentucky Forward and Henderson County High School are again planning an Open House for Area Businesses—Getting to Know You to Grow Our Partnership on Thursday, 18 February.
Last year’s event was a great success with many businesses surprised to learn what all the High School has to offer and many students learning what career opportunities exist within the community.
Read more…
NWKF recently named Ms. Ellie Wright of Henderson as the organization’s new Coordinator, Education & Workforce Development. Ms. Wright comes to NWKF from the University of Southern Indiana.
We are very excited to have Ellie join our team. Everyone who has met her has been impressed by her enthusiasm and excitement for creating excellent schools.
In her role as Coordinator, Ellie will be responsible for the Rally 4 Education initiative to encourage excellent schools. She will also be working to kickstart NWKF’s efforts at workforce development including the Northwest Kentucky Works database.
You can contact Ellie at 270.826.7505 or email at ellie@northwestky.com.
The new Colonels 2 College program is set to begin this year. A local community initiative growing out of NWKF’s Rally for Education Excellence initiative, Colonels 2 College will offer qualifying graduates from Henderson County High School $1000/semester scholarships to Henderson Community College.
The program will begin when this year’s freshmen class graduates in 2013. More information on the program can be found at http://www.northwestky.com/news/documents/Colonels2College.pdf.
This is a program that the NWKF hopes can emulated in each of the other counties.
NWKF recently participated in a very interesting meeting involving our economic development counterparts from Owensboro and Evansville. We met with the newly formed regional higher education consortium involving approximately 10 schools from Northwest Kentucky and Southwest Indiana.
This lunch meeting was a follow up to the Regional Economic Summit that was held in Evansville last November and which focused on themes related to growing this broader region.
Read more…
Recently, I posted information on the groups that had formed as a part of the Henderson County Education Advocacy Team. Today, I am posting an update on the groups formed in Union County. As always, additional information can be found at www.rally4education.com.
The Academic Emphasis Group is planning a Job Shadowing program for incoming high school freshmen July 21st-23rd. Job shadowing is an Read more…
