The City of Covington and the Northern Kentucky Area Development District (NKADD) are partnering to offer a variety of programs and services to Covington residents and businesses.
The NKADD is a collaboration of local leaders and staff educating and empowering communities by implementing quality services through specific areas of expertise in aging, community development, human services, and workforce development.
A grant approved by the city will put the gears of Covington Works, the workforce development initiative by NKADD, in motion.
While Kentucky’s statewide workforce participation rate (57.8%) is lower than the national workforce participation rate (62.2%), Northern Kentucky boasts higher rates of workforce participation (66.8%) – much higher than both the state and national average. This reflects the notion that the workforce is already at or near its capacity when it comes to available talent, which can leave businesses and communities short-staffed.
Citing a workforce “skills gap” in their grant proposal application, NKADD outlined the laundry list of contributing factors as to why the workforce isn’t as engaged as they could be. These include lack of transportation for workers, lack of professionalism, lack of self confidence, and lack of demonstrated skills or experience as areas the region can improve upon to bolster Covington’s workforce.
Partnering with Supply Chain Ohio Kentucky Indiana (SCOKI) and Commute with Enterprise, the largest vanpool provider in North America, NKADD will cover 75% of the cost per participant in their transportation program. The remaining 25% will be paid for by the employer.
They aim to partner with at least three larger-scale employers, preferably Covington-based. After a six month period where the employees have remained employed with the company, NKADD plans to transition the transportation portion of the project over to the business.
As for employees, NKADD will work with nonprofits Covington Housing Authority and NKY Community Action Commission to tap into residents who could benefit from the program.
Aiming at the youth and young adult population in Covington, NKADD will partner with BuildED, an educational and technical service company that delivers career training for individuals looking to obtain employment or advance in their career.
Through intensive virtual skill-building workshops and one-on-one mentoring, the BuildED team teaches individuals how to apply the power of entrepreneurship to working for others and how to do so in a way that will maximize their potential for growth and lifetime earnings. Additionally, NKADD intends to partner with Brighton Center to engage 16 to 24-year-old young adults who are participating in young adult work experiences and internships.
To address the “lack of skills” component, NKADD plans to offer the Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt training and certification to approximately 20 Covington residents. SCOKI will be the lead partner when it comes to coordinating this training. They also will partner with St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Journey Recovery Center, and Life Learning Center to offer training and job opportunities to individuals who are in recovery.
By partnering with NKADD, the City of Covington aims to improve the prospects for current under-skilled and underemployed residents of Covington through career training, reliable transportation, scholarship opportunities, and community resources.