BUILDING TOMORROW'S WORKFORCE TODAY

Building Tomorrow's Workforce Today By Tabari McCoy Scooter Media ,

Boone County Schools, Gateway College combine efforts to help employers overcome talent attraction/retention issues

GIVEN THE 21,000 STUDENTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN BOONE COUNTY SCHOOLS, DISTRICT

Superintendent Matthew Turner knows he and his fellow educators are tasked with a great responsibility. He, however, is not looking for fictional superheroes to prepare them to become members, and possible leaders, of Northern Kentucky’s workforce upon graduation. He believes those people are already in place. Now, it’s time to unite and do the work.

“It’s part of our responsibility to connect with employers and work together with everyone in the community to make sure our kids are prepared and (that) there're jobs for them to go to (for which they are) prepared,” Turner says. “In that process, I met with Boone County Judge/Executive Gary Moore and we pulled together a group of about 25 to 30 business leaders to discuss how the world is changing and the skill sets they need. Now, we’re using the data we received as part of our strategic plan within Boone County Schools as part of our bigger picture strategy.”

IGNITING CAREER INNOVATION

Identified as one of three current strategic imperatives for the Northern Kentucky Chamber, talent attraction and retention has also been identified as a key issue for educators like Turner. While the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly contributed to current talent shortages plaguing employers nationwide, local business leaders have realized that piquing students’ interest in understaffed industries is key to growing Northern Kentucky’s future workforce. Enter the Career and College Pathways program and the Ignite Institute. Ignite Institute, located in the former Toyota manufacturing site, focuses on project-based learning in high-demand career fields. Ignite is part of Boone County Schools’ Career and College Pathways program, which explores careers in fields such as pre-nursing (in partnership with St. Elizabeth), advertising,

PICTURED: Gateway's Line Technician Certification Program

agriculture, computer science and construction among others. The intent is to spark student interest in a variety of fields while providing invaluable, hands-on experience that may help them – and in turn, local employers – determine their future career paths. Several programs also enable students to earn credits at certain area colleges while meeting their requirements for high school graduation. This, in turn, helps many earn a head start on degrees. According to Turner, this year’s

Boone County public high school graduating classes boasted “Anywhere from three to five students in each” that already earned an associate degree in addition to their high school diploma. Turner says these efforts help to alleviate the pressure that parents and students feel when trying to determine a future path. “The biggest shift I’ve seen over the last 10 to 15 years is in the incredible amount of pressure we place on kids that everyone must go to college or you can’t be successful,” he says. “We want to provide opportunities for kids but must understand not all of them may be able to make that decision. They may get into this program and really understand 'College is really not what I want to do – I may have to change course.'”

A GATEWAY TO IMPROVING WORKFORCE

Adrijana Kowatsch, Vice President of Advancement and External Affairs for Gateway Community and Technical College, understands the dilemma of which Turner speaks. Gateway, which in June received $25,000 from the Duke Energy Foundation to help train students as line technicians to help address a worker shortage, is one of Boone County Schools’ career readiness partners. (The Duke Energy Foundation also granted Boone County Schools $10,000 to support STEM programming throughout this past March). Citing a job projection by the University of Cincinnati as a source, she says jobs with sustainable wages that do not require a four-year degree are on the rise but will require candidates to have some training or an industry certificate. That’s where Kowatsch says Gateway can enjoy their “sweet spot,” offering fast tracks to two-year degrees and utilizing partnerships and training programs to bolster job opportunities for high school graduates and in continuing education careers. She cites the line technician initiative as an example of the program’s success. “Over the course of 16 weeks, you can come out of high school with training, get a job paying $45–50,000 with almost guaranteed placement with a good company and the potential to earn up to six figures,” she says. Advocacy to dismiss the stigma associated with such programs and community college degrees, Kowatsch says, is just as important as getting people to take advantage of them. “As a society we tend to value white-collar jobs. The discourse is changing and there're more people open to the notion that trade work is good, quality, sophisticated work,” she says. “It’s for everybody who likes to work with their hands (and) wants lots of earning potential in a good, growing field. It is very sophisticated work that's needed for us to succeed as a community.”

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

Turner, who says “Educators are blessed to have a profession with a very distinct purpose – to help kids,” agrees.

“We got into this profession because we wanted to help kids and we wanted to feel like we're doing something of value to the community and society,” he says. “We want to engage our business community and our community as a whole – that's where we all must work together to be sure that we're collaborating at a high level, truly getting parent and community engagement.

The more we work together on these things, the better it'll be for our students.”

GROW NKY partners across the region are collaborating on a variety of projects to enhance talent development, talent attraction and employer policy and practice with the goal of greater economic vitality for Northern Kentucky. From blurring the lines between high school and college to redefining what it means to have a “good job,” GROW NKY leaders are serving as a model for the Commonwealth and the nation when it comes to workforce development. Below are just two ways our partners are leading the way. Learn more at nkychamber.com/grow.

Dual Credit Hours: The Next Generation’s Stepping Stone to Success

By Dr. Randy Poe, Executive Director, Northern Kentucky Education Council & Dr. Fernando Figueroa, President, Gateway Community and Technical College

NORTHERN KENTUCKY EDUCATION, BUSINESS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS HAVE

a long history of partnering to advance student success, increase college and career readiness, and support regional workforce needs. These partnerships, forged through collaborative efforts led by the Northern Kentucky Education Council and GROW NKY, have led to a dramatic increase in dual credit programs, career pathway opportunities, and early college access for high schoolers.

Thanks to these strong partnerships, NKY students have access to several college-level experiences including Early College, Ignite Institute, The River Cities School Districts Network, and NKU’s Young Scholars Academy. The dual credit courses offered through these programs are provided at reduced rates, saving students thousands of dollars in future college expenses.

• Approximately 1,200 dual credit students were enrolled during the 2022 spring semester at Gateway Community and Technical College, nearly 30% of the student population. This year’s graduating class included 50 dual-credit high schoolers, a record-breaking total for the institution. Ten of those 50 students earned both an Associate in Arts and an Associate in Science degree while also completing high school. • Nearly 500 students were enrolled in dual credit programs completing over 2,600 credit hours at Thomas More University during the 2021-22 school year. • Over 1,500 dual credit students earned approximately 7,000 credits each semester at Northern Kentucky University this year.

Through the collaborative efforts of GROW NKY Pillar 2, we will work to foster and develop stronger education and business partnerships to ensure these programs continue to grow and drive successful outcomes for all students and enhance the health and vitality of our region. To learn more or to get involved in this work, please contact Dr. Randy Poe, NKYEC Executive Director or Chad Molley, Superintendent of Erlanger-Elsmere Schools and NKY Grow Pillar 2 Chairperson. NKY

Averi Yelton, Conner High School

Ian Warford, Conner High School

Students in Northern Kentucky are benefitting from partnerships between local high schools and post-secondary partners

Innovation from the Inside Out: Elevating Job Quality for Talent Retention

By Talia Frye, Vice President, Brighton Center & Jules Breslin, Leadership Engagement Director, Talent Magnet Institute

“COMPANIES WHO ARE NOT THINKING ABOUT JOB

quality are on borrowed time,” said Dr. Thomas Kochan, CoDirector of MIT Sloan Institute for Work and Employment Research at MIT Sloan School of Management during the keynote presentation at the 2021 Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Employer Best Practices Symposium. GROW NKY Pillar 5: Employer Policy & Practice’s goal as a committee is to provide tools and resources to employers that elevate job quality and their ability to attract, retain, develop, and advance their employees. Across the country, and right here in our region, a variety of organizations – including businesses, economic development agencies, workforce development organizations, investors and lenders, advocacy organizations, labor unions, and philanthropy – are innovating to improve job quality in their businesses, organizations, and communities. We have incredible employers in our region and a talented workforce. How can we ensure that as a region our economy is growing and equitable economic opportunity is available for our workforce? And ultimately that we make this region the best place to live and work. Pillar 5 created, curated, and executed the Job Quality Challenge (JQC) series to help elevate the conversation around job quality in our community. JQC was designed to inform and expand employer and community thinking and to inspire participants to improve job quality in their respective companies.

The Employer Best Practices Symposium In 2021 the JQC was a 15-day experience and in 2022, based on participant feedback, the JQC was a 5-day experience. Each day participants were presented with challenges, via email, such as reading an article, watching a video, listening to a podcast, having conversations with colleagues and co-workers, reflecting on personal experiences, and more. We brought Challenge participants together to learn as well as to share ideas, experiences, and best practices that are crucial in becoming an employer of choice through virtual Coffee & Conversations. In total, 179 participants representing 89 employers have taken part so far. The JQC was built on the National Fund for Workforce Solutions Job Design Framework. Topics included elements of a good job, helping employees develop their skills and advance in their careers, economic mobility and racial equity, and employee engagement. Our Job Quality Challenge received national attention and was replicated by JVS in Boston. “Hosting a Job Quality Forum at JVS Boston provided our agency with the perfect opportunity to elevate the job quality discussion in the city at a critical time during the COVID pandemic,” explained Susan Buckey, Director of Employer Engagement, JVS Boston. You can follow #GROWNKY for future job quality events, or reach out to ceimer@ brightoncenter.org to schedule a Strategic Workforce Action Team (SWAT) meeting to get feedback from local workforce partners on job quality in your organization. NKY

Talented NKY Teens Thrive on World Stage

By Tabari McCoy, Scooter Media

Ignite Institute, Covington Catholic Robotics Teams Take Home Top Prizes at VEX Robotics World Championship

TWO LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS ARE SHINING

after showcasing their talents on a worldwide stage following award-winning efforts at the world’s largest robotics competition for high school students. Robotics teams at the Ignite Institute in Boone County and Covington Catholic High School closed out their 2021-22 school years finishing in first and second place overall, respectively, at the VEX Robotics World Tournament. Taking place in Dallas this past May, the event featured 818 teams, selected from a registry of 20,000 teams representing 15,000 high schools in 40 countries. The VEX competition was a reversal of the two teams’ previous battle at the Kentucky State Robotics championship this past March, which saw Covington Catholic upend Ignite for the top prize. Team 38141B VEX “PiBiotics” from the Ignite Institute went undefeated in round robin-style competition, compiling a 10-0 record en route to winning the VEX Robotics High School World Championship. Earning a spot in the Grand Elimination Bracket of all 10 division winners, the team won its final battle by a score of 224-95 to take home the world championship title in a 10,000-seat arena. Team 9257C, Covington Catholic’s “House Cats,” also performed well, taking home the title of VEX High School World Finalists. They were one of five teams from the school, competing alongside “RoboColonels,” “Colonelbotics,” “Flintstones” and “X-Factor.” Each team competed in different divisions of the VEX event, led by Tom Rowe and Bob Lind, the 2021-22 Kentucky Robotics Coach of the Year and Create Foundation Teacher of the Year winners, respectively. To learn more about Ignite Institute’s PiBiotics team, visit pibotics.info. For more on Covington Catholic’s robotics teams, follow their Twitter account at covcath.org/STEM. NKY

Covington Catholic at the World Championships The IGNITE Institute Team competing in the VEX Robotics World Championship

The IGNITE Institute Team after winning the world championship

The Covington Catholic "House Cats"