Louisville Providing $2 Million In Training Scholarships

Two million dollars in training scholarships will help unemployed and underemployed residents in the KentuckianaWorks’ seven-county region gain education and skills that will prepare them for high-demand, higher-wages occupations, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced yesterday. The federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA) funds, released by the KentuckianaWorks Board, is earmarked for new training and support activities.

To qualify for the training scholarships, residents need to go to a Kentucky Career Center office in Jefferson, Bullitt or Shelby counties. The training scholarships provide up to $4,000 a year for education/training tuition and $600 a year for supportive costs like uniforms, tools, books, etc. The eligible recipients can get the scholarships for up to two years.

“The first thing new companies looking to locate in Louisville ask about is the workforce,” Fischer said. “They want to know if we have the workers who will help their companies be successful. These federal training dollars will help people get the training they need to qualify for the high-demand, higher-paying jobs – like electricians, plumbers, financial analysts, registered nurses, computer programmers and tractor-trailer truck drivers – that are available right now in Louisville.”

The 50 high-demand occupations were designated by the KentuckianaWorks Board based on an analysis of data from EMSI Analyst and Burning Glass/Labor Insight. Salaries for the occupations range from $12.61 an hour for installation, maintenance and repair workers to $31.17 an hour for software developers. The 50 occupations are found in five industry sectors:

• Advanced Manufacturing and Skilled Trades

• Business Services

• Healthcare

• Information Technology

• Transportation/Logistics

“People must attend an orientation session at any Kentucky Career Center in the KentuckianaWorks’ region to find out if they qualify for the training scholarships,” said Michael Gritton, executive director of KentuckianaWorks. “The Kentucky Career Center locations are not just places to apply for unemployment insurance. Each location is also a true career center offering a variety of services to help people search for a job, write an attention-getting resume, gain interview skills, build a professional network and meet potential employers at job fairs. Our career specialists can help advise job seekers on careers for today’s job market. We also offer specialized services for qualifying veterans and resources for visually impaired or disabled job seekers.”

People can find out if they qualify at an orientation session at one of these Kentucky Career Center locations in Jefferson, Bullitt or Shelby counties:

• Each Monday at 2 p.m. at the Kentucky Career Center in Shepherdsville (505 Buffalo Run Road, Suite 100)

• Each Tuesday at 9 a.m. at the Kentucky Career Center in Shelbyville (88 Brunerstown Rd.)

• Each Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center in Louisville (160 Rochester Dr., Building W)

• Each Wednesday at the Kentucky Career Center in Shepherdsville (505 Buffalo Run Road, Suite 100)

• Each Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Kentucky Career Center in Louisville (600 W. Cedar St.)

• Each Friday at 2 p.m. at the Kentucky Career Center in Louisville (Nia Center, 2900 W. Broadway)

Phone numbers and hours of operation for each Kentucky Career Center are posted online at www.kentuckianaworks.org.

KentuckianaWorks is Greater Louisville’s Workforce Investment Board and an agency of Louisville Metro Government. Kentucky Career Centers in the KentuckianaWorks region serve residents of Bullitt, Henry, Jefferson, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer and Trimble counties.