For Immediate Release:

For Immediate Release:

Contact: Chris Poynter, (502) 574-1908, Chris.Poynter@louisvilleky.gov

Kitty Armstrong, (502) 574-3136, Kitty.Armstrong@kentuckianaworks.org

Louisville Receives Additional $2 Million in Job-Training Funds

KentuckianaWorks will offer new training for high-demand jobs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Jan. 3, 2008) - Mayor Jerry Abramson today announced that KentuckianaWorks received a $2 million increase in funding for job training in high-growth professions from U.S. Department of Labor Workforce Investment Act Funds. KentuckianaWorks can spend up to $3,600 per person on training, and hopes to help 1,000 people complete the training by the end of June 2008.

“I’m hoping that residents will make a New Year’s resolution to get the skills they need to move ahead in the workplace,” Abramson said. “If we could help 1,000 people find steady, good-paying jobs, that would be a significant boost to the economy of the entire Louisville region.”

KentuckianaWorks is offering new training for workers who would like to be in fields that are experiencing a surge of growth, such as certified nursing assistant, truck driver, certified medical technician, dental assistant and heavy equipment operator.

Depending on the school trainees choose, their entire program of study could be covered by the funding. Trainees will receive help with job placement after they successfully complete the program. Workers who start the program now could be working in a new field by Derby Day.

“Finding a job is sometimes just a matter of finding the right field and getting help to get there,” said Michael Gritton, executive director of KentuckianaWorks. “We targeted these fields to help meet the needs of the business community, and to help people train for jobs that will be readily available.”

To obtain the training, individuals must qualify by taking an assessment test and must meet certain guidelines. Potential trainees need to start with a KentuckianaWorks One-Stop Career Center to find out if they qualify. To find out more, visit a KentuckianaWorks One-Stop Career Center and meet with a career specialist. For more information, call KentuckianaWorks One-Stop Career Centers at 1-877-639-7559 (1-877-NEW-SKLZ). Residents of Jefferson, Bullitt, Henry, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer, and Trimble counties in Kentucky are eligible for training in Kentucky.

KentuckianaWorks One-Stop Career Centers are located at the following places:

Louisville, Downtown