Gov. Beshear: Nearly $830,000 in Funding, Credits Approved to Provide Workforce Training for More Than 2,100 Kentucky Trainees

Companies across Kentucky invest in workforce initiatives

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 7, 2023) –Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted Kentucky’s continued investment in workforce training initiatives as he announced nearly $830,000 in funding and credits to assist with the training of over 2,100 Kentucky workers.

Training funds and credits approved during this month’s Bluegrass State Skills Corp. (BSSC) meeting push the state’s support in fiscal year 2023 to over $4.6 million for 76 applicants throughout the state to train more than 14,800 workers.

“World-class companies are picking Kentucky because of our world-class workforce,” said Gov. Beshear. “With today’s announcement, the state has provided assistance for well over 14,000 Kentuckians this fiscal year to get the workforce training they need. Our economy is on fire and we’re not slowing down.”

Approvals during this month’s BSSC meeting support workforce training in communities across the state, including more than 881 trainees at Kobe Aluminum Automotive Products in Bowling Green, 305 trainees at Kroger Limited Partnership doing business as Kenlake Foods in Murray, nearly 250 trainees at Mouser Cabinetry in Elizabethtown, over 150 trainees at Ingram Barge Co. in Paducah and almost 130 trainees at Summit Biosciences in Lexington.

With approvals, fiscal year to date BSSC programs have provided $13 million in funds and credits since July 2021. Those funds assisted with workforce training to support more than 50,000 trainees.

The BSSC’s Grant-in-Aid (GIA) and Skills Training Investment Credit (STIC) programs assist employers throughout the commonwealth. GIA provides cash reimbursements for occupational and skills upgrade training at Kentucky businesses, while STIC offers state income tax credits for companies to offset the costs for approved training programs. Applications for both programs are accepted and considered for approval by the BSSC Board of Directors.

BSSC incentives are available to a range of operations, including manufacturing, agribusiness, nonretail service or technology, headquarters operations, state-licensed hospital operations, coal severing and processing, alternative fuel, gasification, renewable energy production and carbon dioxide transmission pipelines.

For more information on BSSC or to apply for workforce training assistance, visit the BSSC webpage.