Filling the Gap: A Summit on Meeting Rural Workforce Needs Conference

On August 30, 2018, over 70 individuals attended the Filling the Gap: A Summit on Meeting Rural Workforce Needs conference, which was held at Madisonville Community College. This event was hosted by the Madisonville-Hopkins County Economic Development Corporation in partnership with International Economic Development Council, Madisonville Community College, and the West Kentucky Workforce Board. The conference was aimed to provide tools and strategies to increase the pool of workers available to employers. Josh Benton, Deputy Secretary of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, was the keynote speaker and discussed initiatives at the state level that are designed to help local communities in Kentucky improve the skills of their current and upcoming workforce. West Kentucky Workforce Board staff also presented at the conference. Molly Deahl, WKWB Business Liaison, discussed the role of the WKWB in the region and workforce opportunities available through Kentucky Career Centers. Marc Quesenberry, WKWB Veterans Transition Liaison, facilitated a panel of veterans and transitioning soldiers and discussed how to best engage this population.