Business & Education Network
Ensuring that Central Kentucky has an educated workforce with the skills employers are seeking is essential to our economic competitiveness. Commerce Lexington supports workforce development through its partnership with The Business and Education Network (BEN), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The Business and Education Network is an initiative-based organization. Once an opportunity is identified, we engage our resources to work with community partners and develop a plan addressing that need.
MISSION & FUNCTIONS:
The Business and Education Network’s mission is to create, attract and sustain a globally skilled workforce to meet the needs of the region's existing and target industries. Our goal is to achieve this by working with the education community, local workforce partners, community-based organizations and area businesses. A skilled workforce with 21st-century skills is critical for individual and regional prosperity as well as business success. Therefore, the quality of our education system and workforce development initiatives is of the utmost importance.
FOCUS AREAS:
MISSION & FUNCTIONS:
The Business and Education Network’s mission is to create, attract and sustain a globally skilled workforce to meet the needs of the region's existing and target industries. Our goal is to achieve this by working with the education community, local workforce partners, community-based organizations and area businesses. A skilled workforce with 21st-century skills is critical for individual and regional prosperity as well as business success. Therefore, the quality of our education system and workforce development initiatives is of the utmost importance.
FOCUS AREAS:
- Attract new talent to the region.
- Increase the retention of young adults.
- Work to ensure education pipeline is aligned with and supports outcomes that meet workforce needs.
- Connect workforce/education resources to businesses to accelerate talent availability and preparedness.
The Business and Education Network Supports:
BUILDING A MORE COMPETITIVE BLUEGRASS REGION
Increasing the Regional Labor Force:
The availability of skilled workers will be a critical factor in economic success in the coming years – probably the most important factor. The region’s labor force growth has been slow, and a better strategy for talent attraction and retention of younger workers is needed.
The Business & Education Network will develop a regional talent attraction/retention marketing campaign that will help the Greater Lexington region retain current residents and win over prospective talent. Included in the plan will be a new talent attraction website, a targeted social media campaign, and internal stakeholder workshops throughout the region.
Strengthen connectivity between college students & regional employers:
The Business and Education Network will develop a strategy to connect local businesses with students to increase the retention of young adults in the region. By creating more work-based learning experiences for students, we will increase the stickiness of young adults.
BUILDING A MORE COMPETITIVE BLUEGRASS REGION
Increasing the Regional Labor Force:
The availability of skilled workers will be a critical factor in economic success in the coming years – probably the most important factor. The region’s labor force growth has been slow, and a better strategy for talent attraction and retention of younger workers is needed.
The Business & Education Network will develop a regional talent attraction/retention marketing campaign that will help the Greater Lexington region retain current residents and win over prospective talent. Included in the plan will be a new talent attraction website, a targeted social media campaign, and internal stakeholder workshops throughout the region.
Strengthen connectivity between college students & regional employers:
The Business and Education Network will develop a strategy to connect local businesses with students to increase the retention of young adults in the region. By creating more work-based learning experiences for students, we will increase the stickiness of young adults.