If you look at nationwide unemployment, per capita market income, and poverty rates, Eastern Kentucky’s 36 distressed counties are in the bottom 10%.
Our workforce participation rate is 33%, compared to 58% in Kentucky and 62% nationwide. Within Eastern Kentucky, nearly 400,000 people aren’t working or looking for work.
What story does this data tell about our community?
The coal industry’s collapse hit Eastern Kentuckians hard. Not only did the mines close, some abruptly, but many supporting industries that relied on the mine workers’ business also failed.
So many of our residents have exhausted their options. It’s not easy to continue the job search if the situation seems hopeless — because they’ve already explored what seems like every potential avenue for a sustainable career.
But these circumstances are changing for job seekers. Many new practices related to training, hiring, and job searching are more favorable than they used to be.
For example, the COVID-19 pandemic created a surge in remote work employment, enabling broadband-connected households to access high-paying careers. And as many industries continue to seek new workers, free or reduced-cost training opportunities for career changers are increasingly moving online, too.
It’s time to take on a new mindset about seeking employment. A fresh set of opportunities is waiting for Eastern Kentuckians outside the workforce.
Local leaders: This is the perfect time to help residents connect with the Eastern Kentucky Training Catalog.
Introducing the Eastern Kentucky Training Catalog
The Eastern Kentucky Training Catalog helps working-age residents outside the labor force identify and pursue training for new career opportunities. SOAR partnered with SkillUp Coalition, a national leader in online career training, to create this new resource.
Our team has first-hand experience with Eastern Kentuckians’ employment struggles. Our team worked closely with SkillUp to ensure the training catalog addressed our community’s most important priorities.
The catalog features local employers hiring for critical roles today. Residents can have faith that jobs should be available once they complete their training successfully.
How job seekers use the Eastern Kentucky Training Catalog
Our goal for the Eastern Kentucky Training Catalog is to help residents work with the skills they already have and build upon them to increase their job options.
Job seekers can easily search for nearly 50 local, statewide, and national training programs and quickly access the information they need about each career opportunity.
The website is user-friendly and surfaces the most important details for job seekers, such as:
- Career titles and descriptions
- Estimated salary range based on real-time, local data
- Cost of required training, certification, or accreditation
- Time to complete training
- Skills gained from training
- Requirements, such as education or work experience
- Personality attributes that will help candidates succeed in this career
- Who to contact to learn more
- How to get started with enrollment
Every position pays at least a living wage plus benefits. After a job seeker secures one of these roles, there will likely be opportunities to earn their way into higher-paying and higher-skilled roles over time.
Overcoming barriers for career changers
We’re mindful that Eastern Kentuckians currently outside the workforce may face barriers that make it challenging to learn new skills and pursue a career change.
Caretakers, parents, and those working non-traditional hours are already juggling a lot of responsibilities. But those current obligations shouldn’t compete with pursuing a new career that’ll help create long-term stability and increased earning power.
Many training opportunities are free — requiring only the participants’ time and commitment. Every training program published in the Eastern Kentucky Training Catalog takes 12 months or fewer to complete and under $10,000 to enroll. We also highlight available financial aid and scholarships wherever offered.
Available careers
The careers available on the Eastern Kentucky Training Catalog speak to a wide range of skills and talents.
What you’ll find today:
- Licensed practical nurse (LPN)
- Certified clinical medical assistant (CCMA)
- Computer user support specialist
- Carpenter or carpenter apprentice
- Forklift operator
- Bookkeeper
- Electromechanical technician
- Phlebotomist
- Electronic health/medical records specialist
- Solar photovoltaic installer
- Commercial driver
Check back periodically, as we expect to add more career opportunities over time.
Employer partners
Local and regional employer partners are aiming to fill thousands of jobs. This catalog puts available, high-demand careers at the front, so residents can be sure their investment in training is likely to yield positive results.
The local training providers featured in the Eastern Kentucky Training Catalog include:
- Pikeville Medical Center
- Big Sandy Community and Technical College
- Maysville Community and Technical College
- Galen College of Nursing
- Hazard Community and Technical College
- Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College
Want to see your training program listed in the Eastern Kentucky Training Catalog? Jump to the end of this article to learn how to get in touch with the SOAR Digital Navigator, Lizzie Gillum.
Get started today
Helping more Eastern Kentuckians secure gainful employment is one of SOAR Innovation’s top objectives. We provide numerous resources to help job seekers, training providers, and local leaders to support our goal of increasing our regional workforce participation rate.
Job seekers: Click here to access career and training resources on the Eastern Kentucky Training Catalog.
Do you represent an Eastern Kentucky business or nonprofit interested in locating qualified local talent? Or are you a training provider interested in publishing on the catalog?
Your point of contact is the SOAR Digital Navigator, Lizzie Gillum. She’s helping thousands of Eastern Kentucky residents get online, access internet-enabled devices, sign up for affordability programs, and enroll in digital skills training.
Local leaders: Increasing workforce participation will be critical for existing Eastern Kentucky businesses and organizations. Many of them need urgent help with hiring today.
Prospective entrepreneurs and funders considering an investment in our area will look at workforce growth and find the idea more attractive.
Help your residents get familiar with their job training resources, including the Eastern Kentucky Training Catalog and the Eastern Kentucky Office of Digital Literacy.