GROW NKY Progress Report 2020

GROW NKY Growing Regional Outcomes Through Workforce

Progress Report 2020

A Letter from Marianne Schmidt Hurtt, GROW NKY Chair It was just 28 short months ago a passionate group of key stakeholders in the workforce ecosystem, under the brilliant leadership of Rhonda Whitaker-Hurtt of Duke Energy, launched a comprehensive strategy to leverage the community’s full complement of assets to grow, attract, retain and advance a globally competitive workforce. GROW NKY is a collective impact approach to workforce development comprised of more than 70 business, educational, and community leaders working collaboratively to distinguish NKY as a catalyst for opportunity and prosperity.

Our holistic approach to developing objectives across the workforce ecosystem, as well as providing support and information to promote business and economic growth through workforce development, are key attributes of the GROW NKY initiative. We realize there is much more to be accomplished, but the groundwork laid is already reaping sizable dividends.

This report illustrates what we have accomplished together. Although change has been our constant, trust in one another and a true spirit of collaboration are our strengths. We set goals collectively, but it’s the passion and persistence of the partner organizations of GROW NKY that propels us to achieve our goals. On behalf of a dedicated Steering Committee, it is with much gratitude I present the GROW NKY Progress Report.

Marianne Schmidt Hurtt, PNC Bank

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GROW NKY Progress Report

Overview Growing Regional Outcomes Through Workforce (GROW NKY) is a strategic workforce collective comprised of leaders across key industries, educational institutions and community organizations working collaboratively to leverage the region’s assets to grow, attract and retain a globally competitive workforce. The Northern Kentucky Chamber serves as the backbone organization leading the strategic workforce collective. GROW NKY focuses on five key areas of workforce development, following a cradle-tocareer model.

GROW NKY DEMONSTRATES THAT PARTNER COLLABORATION IS KEY TO MEETING EMPLOYER NEEDS From talent attraction to retention and funding opportunities, Northern Kentucky is rich with resources to help employers tackle people challenges.

With such an expansive network of resources available, navigating the landscape of workforce development can be difficult and overwhelming for employers. In an effort to alleviate these challenges, GROW NKY leverages the power of collaboration among partners in the workforce ecosystem to better serve local employers and streamline the process to connect employers with the resources they need most.

From connections to early childhood education providers, establishing an NKY College & Career Connector role to centralized access to NKY school districts; to aligning services offered to address an employer’s hiring and/or downsizing news - GROW NKY partners work hand-in-hand to unify efforts and address the supply and demand side of workforce in the region.

F O C U S A R E A S

Improve Kindergarten readiness for Northern Kentucky Lead Organization EC Learn

Increase the percentage of students who meet one or more KY Dept of Education college or career readiness measures Lead Organization NKY Cooperative for Educational Services

Increase supply of qualified workers to improve regional labor force participation rate Lead Organization Kentucky Career Center

Improve the region’s ability to attract and retain qualified workers Lead Organization NKY Chamber

Assist the region’s employers with attracting, retaining, developing and advancing their employees Lead Organizations Brighton Center & Talent Magnet Institute 33

Highlights Since its launch in 2018, GROW NKY’s collective approach has streamlined and eliminated duplication while leading several initiatives that have helped the NKY workforce ecosystem. All five pillars have their fingerprints on this success. A selection of highlights from GROW NKY’s first two years include: GRAYDON GROW NKY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM The Graydon GROW NKY Internship program provides a unique experiential learning opportunity for underrepresented students who are currently enrolled at a Northern Kentucky college or university. Graydon GROW NKY interns commit to working 20 hours per week for 15 weeks and are paid $12 per hour. The internship has hosted three students since its debut in 2019.

Left to right: Jared Nelson, Anissa Bradley and Alvin Chaney

GOOD COMPANIES, GOOD JOBS INITIATIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH MIT SLOAN GROW NKY has partnered with MIT’s USA Lab program to host graduate students in connection to grants from the Good Companies, Good Jobs Initiative at MIT Sloan. To date, MIT students assigned to GROW NKY have concentrated on reporting mechanisms and analytics to help GROW NKY partners mark progress towards established goals and develop best practice recommendations for employer engagement.

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The synergy fostered by the collective has given more clarity to the interconnectedness of our region and the shared nature of our goals.

Although we already knew our community was rich with phenomenal partners doing great work, GROW NKY has provided an intentional gathering rhythm that allows for more consistent alignment of efforts across organizations.

This helps reduce duplication and increase potential impact by approaching our workforce ecosystem as a formalized team rather than a pool of partners tackling challenges in our own ways.

Karen Cheser (Fort Thomas Independent Schools) and Amanda Johannemann (NKY Chamber) represent Northern Kentucky alongside selected communities across the country for MIT USA Labs program.

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GROW NKY Progress Report

CHRISTI GODMAN Gateway Community and Technical College

EMPLOYER BEST PRACTICES SYMPOSIUM An annual event, the Employer Best Practices Symposium brings business leaders together to share best practices for the Northern Kentucky region’s biggest workforce challenges and most pressing issues.

Since its inception in 2019, the symposium has engaged 39 industry experts as panelists and presenters, and provided helpful workforce insights to 280 attendees.

GROW NKY will hold its third symposium this spring.

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Experts

280 Attendees

MYCAREERE3 MyCareerE3 is a work-based learning (WBL) platform expected to launch at the beginning of 2021. Established by a collective group of GROW NKY partners in 2020, MyCareerE3 addresses workforce needs by providing an online and easy way for students to connect with valuable work-based learning experiences close to home. The platform also tracks student & employer engagement in work-based learning across the region.

The experiences provided by MyCareerE3 will give young people a connection to employers and careers, while supplying a talent pipeline to support regional growth. Key partner organizations instrumental in the development included Insight Partners, Learning Grove/NaviGo, Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services (NKCES) and Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Funding for the project was provided by Citi and Duke Energy.

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The Employer Best Practices Symposium has been a game changer for me and my organization. I attended the first Symposium two years ago and truly had my eyes opened to how similar we all are when it comes to key Employer issues like recruiting and retention.

I took what I learned from being an attendee and applied it to my own retention practices.

This past year I was fortunate to come back to this event as presenter and speak to the power of collaboration and networking, how the symposium inspired new ideas for my organization and most importantly, how Cengage successfully implemented those ideas to increase retention at our company. I have gained new insights, best practices and a new network from being a part of this Symposium and all that GROW NKY has to offer.

TRISH OWENS Cengage 5

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SMALL BUSINESS RECOVERY GRANTS In partnership with the Duke Energy, GROW NKY awarded $70,000 in grants to 17 minority-, women-, and veteran-owned small businesses to help offset the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 160 businesses applied for the grants.

$70k awarded to 17 businesses STRATEGIC WORKFORCE ACTION TEAM (SWAT) MEETINGS GROW NKY launched Strategic Workforce Action Team (SWAT) meetings in 2018, a seamless process made up of a coalition of organizations committed to ensuring employers have the resources they need to grow, attract, retain and advance a globally competitive workforce. Eighteen meetings have been hosted for employers since the launch with 22 workforce leaders from 16 workforce development partner organizations participating. Feedback from employers has been exceptional with SWAT meetings receiving an average 4.82 rating for exceeding expectations on a 1-5 scale from participants.

TALENT PIPELINE MANAGEMENT Talent Pipeline Management™ empowers businesses to create and manage talent supply chains through projecting talent needs and aligning those with education and workforce development systems. In Northern Kentucky, there are 3 active Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) industry collaboratives in manufacturing, health careers, and supply chain/logistics (CVG) with 12 regional businesses involved. Using real time data, these businesses identified 18 critical jobs needed in those sectors. Employer collaboratives are organized by employers for employers. Industry leaders are focused on solving critical workforce needs and creating talent pipelines with education and workforce partners.

(This is a partnership with Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center and US Chamber, with three collaboratives in our region and 22 across the state.)

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GROW NKY Progress Report

Duke Energy has a history of giving back to the communities we serve. Partnering with the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the GROW NKY team enabled us to quickly and efficiently provide COVID assistance grants to minority-, femaleand veteran-owned small businesses facing unprecedented challenges.

It’s critical that we work together to help our small businesses not only survive but thrive during these times.

GROW NKY has partnered with MIT’s USA Lab program to host graduate students in connection to grants from the Good Companies, Good Jobs Initiative at MIT Sloan. To date, MIT students assigned to GROW NKY have concentrated on reporting mechanisms and analytics to help GROW NKY partners mark progress towards established goals and develop best practice recommendations.

AMY SPILLER President Duke Energy

NEW AMERICAN ECONOMY & WELCOMING AMERICA GATEWAYS FOR GROWTH GRANT & COMMUNITY WELCOMING PLAN Northern Kentucky was one of 14 communities selected nationally for the $12,500 Gateways for Growth award from New American Economy (NAE)/ Welcoming America for research on the economic impact of immigrants on the local economy.

The NKY Chamber received a matching grant of $12,500 from Duke Energy for a total of $25,000. The grant was used to develop a multisector strategic plan on immigrant integration that aligns existing efforts, creating a comprehensive, integrative approach centered on the three northernmost Kentucky counties.

The Gateways for Growth Northern Kentucky Community Welcoming Plan was unveiled in March 2020. A task force composed of 45 members from organizations across the region is in the process of implementing the plan. Grant partners included Northern Kentucky Workforce Investment Board, Duke Energy, Gateway Community and Technical College, and Catholic Charities of Louisville, Kentucky Office for Refugees.

In 2017, immigrants made up 4.2% of the business owners in the region despite making up 3.5% of the Northern Kentucky population.

Among the region’s population aged 25 and older, immigrants in the region had higher levels of education than their U.S.-born counterparts with 33.1% holding a bachelor degree or higher, compared to 27.9% of U.S. born citizens.

(Source: New American Economy Data Report)

GROW NKY FUNDING EFFORTS TO SUPPORT REGIONAL PROJECTS Over $1 million has been secured to support key GROW NKY programs and initiatives aligned with regional goals. These funds have made the workforce collectives’ first two years a success — highlighted by the achievements noted above and the details of each focus area below. Major project-focused grants received include: $651,000 from the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet to NKY Cooperative for Educational Services to launch K-TECH in Northern Kentucky $250,000 from the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet to NKY Cooperative for Educational Services and Learning Grove/Navigo to establish NKY College & Career Connector $50,000 Duke Energy Foundation Powerful Communities Grant to the NKY Chamber Foundation for regional marketing strategy $25,000 Gateways for Growth Grant from New American Economy/Welcoming America and the Duke Energy Foundation to the NKY Chamber Foundation to develop and launch an immigrant integration plan for NKY $33,750 in grants from Duke Energy and Citi to the NKY Chamber Foundation to fund the work-based learning platform, MyCareerE3

GROW NKY MARKETING SUPPORT As the backbone organization of GROW NKY, the NKY Chamber leverages its public relations, social media, email and print marketing tools to highlight and promote the work of GROW NKY and its partner organizations. Efforts include a monthly dedicated GROW NKY partner email, a two-page feature in every issue of the NKY Chamber Business Journal, and regular promotion of partner news in the NKY Chamber’s weekly email newsletter and on its social media channels.

ADVOCATING FOR CHILD CARE TO REOPEN Working Kentucky families were left with no place to turn during the early months of the pandemic, as Gov. Beshear mandated closure of child care facilities across the Commonwealth. As the KY Division of Child Care services worked to create their Reopening Guidelines for all certified and licensed child care programs, the professionals within GROW NKY’s Kindergarten Readiness area of focus provided key input and feedback.

Due to the existence of this pillar working group, critical information was efficiently and effectively provided to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, as well as members of the NKY Legislative Caucus for committee hearings and testimony.

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A Closer Look: Selection of Outcomes to Date Five key focus areas have been identified as the “pillars” of GROW NKY’s efforts.

Through a collaborative approach to progress on regional goals, more than 70 partners across the GROW NKY workforce ecosystem have aligned their strategic efforts and resources to address regional needs.

Lead NKCES (Karen Cheser) Goal Increase the percentage of students who meet one or more Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) college or career readiness measures Developed the MyCareerE3 work-based platform, funded by grants from Citi and Duke Energy Established NKY College & Career Connector role to support and track connections to workbased learning opportunities for NKY school districts, students and employers Hosted a webinar titled “Educating During a Pandemic: How Local Schools Transformed and What this Means for our Future Workforce” in May 2020

Lead EC Learn (Sandra Woodall) Goal Improve kindergarten readiness for NKY Prioritized the focus on helping employers and their employees find solutions and access to child care options during the pandemic Completed initial rounds of employer surveys and conducted SWAT meetings with employers Collaboration on advocacy efforts

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GROW NKY Progress Report

Received state grant to launch K-TECH for NKY and hired a regional KY Youth Apprenticeship Coordinator focused on the healthcare industry Announced River City Promise Program providing free tuition to Pell-eligible high school students in Northern Kentucky Career Readiness Report published for NKY region in 2019 The Ignite Institute at the Roebling Innovation Center opened its doors in August 2019

Lead NKY Chamber Lead Kentucky Career Center (Correy Eimer) Goal Increase the supply of qualified workers to improve the regional labor force participation rate Center for Employment Training (CET) has a 26% increase in enrollment from fiscal year 2019-2020 to 2020-2021. 42 credentials were awarded to CET students in the 19-20 school year Launched Employer Resource Guide, a product of the collective partnership of NKY’s Workforce and Economic Development partners to provide employers workforce-relevant resources in a centralized location Partners identified 16 Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) programs aligned with in-demand industry sectors and held industry sector events to strengthen awareness and enrollment. Over the past three academic years, 2,071 with credentials have been awarded in identified programs to Gateway students with 585 in the 19-20 school year Ten employers and 22 students are participating in the NKY FAME program in 2020-2021 school year Announced NKU and Ion/Apex Pathway Program agreement for construction and skilled trades industry Cincinnati Region Internship Toolkit launched to help employers successfully navigate internships/ co-ops for students pursuing higher education certificates and degrees. In 2020, the toolkit saw a 15% increase in individuals who accessed the Toolkit and a 25% increase in views

Goal Improve the region’s ability to attract and retain qualified workers Completed the NKY Welcoming Plan for immigrant integration NKYP (NKY Young Professionals) launched as a program of the NKY Chamber to engage young professional talent GROW NKY joined Talent Hub Partnership led by Strive Partnership NKY Chamber is added as a partner of the STIR Multi-Cultural effort The Cincinnati Experience and NKY Livability are created as tools to promote the region Developed Welcoming Week marketing initiative

Lead Brighton Center (Wonda Winkler) & Talent Magnet institute (Mike Sipple, Jr.) Goal Assist the region’s employers with attracting, retaining, developing and advancing their employees Enhanced focus on job quality Talent Pipeline Management partnership with Kentucky Workforce Center/Kentucky Chamber and US Chamber Hosted two Employers Best Practice Symposiums with another one slated for March 2021 9 9

Acknowledgements Steering Committee Karen Cheser, Ft. Thomas Independent Schools (on behalf of Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services) Brent Cooper, Northern Kentucky Chamber Of Commerce Lee Crume, Northern Kentucky Tri-ED Dana Dobbs, Citi Fernando Figueroa, Gateway Community and Technical College Karen Finan, OneNKY Alliance Ryan Heitkamp, Armor USA Inc. Tara Johnson-Noem, Northern Kentucky Area Development District/Workforce Investment Board Leisa Mulcahy, Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Sybil Murphy, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) Jamie Parsons, St. Elizabeth Healthcare Edgewood Randy Poe, Northern Kentucky Education Council Marianne Schmidt Hurtt, PNC Bank (CHAIR) Shannon Starkey-Taylor, Learning Grove Rhonda Whitaker Hurtt, Duke Energy Wonda Winkler, Brighton Center, Inc.

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GROW NKY Progress Report

Acknowledgements GROW NKY Focus Area Leadership

GROW NKY Objective Lead Partners EC Learn Gateway Community & Technical College Insight Partners Junior Achievement Kenton County Public Library Kentucky Campus Compact

Marcus Management Consultants LLC Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Skilled Trades Resources Staffmark Turner Construction Ulimi

Major Funding Partners

GROW NKY Staff at the NKY Chamber Leisa Mulcahy Managing Director, GROW NKY & Vice President, Workforce Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce lmulcahy@nkychamber.com 859.578.6396

Amanda Johannemann, IOM Director, Talent Strategies | NKYP Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce ajohannemann@nkychamber.com 859.426.3654 11