KY-WORCS - Addressing Workforce Shifts Alongside Energy Policy Change at KYIC 2024

[Image: Mi2 FallConference Sneaks 69 scaled]

On October 30th, at the Kentucky Industry Conference, AccelerateKY Board President Rusty Justice led a discussion on"Addressing Workforce Shifts Alongside Energy Policy Change," highlighting the KY-WORCS program on which the Metals Innovation Initiative has partnered with AccelerateKY to pursue. The session brought together leaders from economic development, local government, and workforce support to explore the intersection of workforce challenges and energy policy transitions in Kentucky’s evolving economy.

Panelists included:
Steven Bailey, Executive Director at Prestonsburg Economic Development Foundation
Rusty Justice, Board President at AccelerateKY
Alyssa Manning, Executive Director at Felix E. Martin Jr. Foundation
Paul Sandefur, Mayor of Beaver Dam, KY
Brad Slone, Economic Development Director at City of Pikeville

These four rural Kentucky counties--Floyd County and Pike County in the Eastern Kentucky Coalfields and Muhlenberg County and Ohio County in the Western Kentucky Coalfields--have been working on a strategy for establishing pilot sites for satellite offices for manufacturers.

Many manufacturing facilities in Kentucky must be along major transportation throughways but who are dealing with the challenges of tight labor markets in many of those areas. Meanwhile, our East and West coalfield areas have seen many of their skilled jobs leave alongside the decline in coal mining and coal-fired power plants in the region.

This pilot project--called the Kentucky Workforce Optimization & Redistribution Comprehensive Strategy (or KY-WORCS) originates from a concept on "Locally Distributed Organizations" created by AccelerateKY and further developed in part through the support of MI2's work with the American-Made Challenge Community Energy Innovation Prize.

The panel acknowledged the significant workforce shifts occurring across Kentucky as industries adapt to new energy policies and technologies. The panelists emphasized the importance of upskilling and reskilling local workers to meet the demands of new industries, With many areas traditionally reliant on coal and manufacturing, the transition requires a coordinated effort to ensure workers are equipped with the right skills--but with many of the underlying aptitudes transferrable to jobs in new industries.

These local leaders also discussed the crucial role of education and community foundations in preparing the next generation for the future workforce, noting that local education initiatives must focus not only on traditional sectors but also on emerging industries that require specialized knowledge and skills.

The panel also discussed organizations that are necessary to bridge the gap between energy policy shifts and the local workforce--again, reiterating that workforce retraining must be paired with local economic development efforts to ensure that new opportunities are available to those most affected by the energy transition.

In particular, each of these local leaders laid out the story of their counties and some of their strengths, in terms of workforce and of quality of life.

MI2, AccelerateKY, and these pilot communities are forging ahead with the next steps to pursue these satellite offices. Those interested in further information can contact MI2 Director of Strategic Communications Sam Ford at sam.ford@mi2ky.org.