UK Trustee’s discuss plans to boost workforce needs

Despite recent economic growth, the state's workforce participation rate is among the lowest in the country.

Lexington, Ky (WTVQ): Last week, the University of Kentucky trustees discussed plans to boost the state’s workforce needs. Despite recent economic growth, the state’s workforce participation rate is among the lowest in the country.

According to Jay Blanton, the spokesperson for the University of Kentucky, currently only three out of five Kentucky students are staying in the Commonwealth after college, and that number is lower for students out of state with only one out of five students staying in Kentucky. “We want to continue increase our enrollment,” he said. “We’ve got a record first year class this year of almost 6,500 students. We’ve got a record overall enrollment of more than 34,000 students.”

Blanton says every year the University looks at what their capacity is to support students. “Along with that, what are the things you need to continue to grow? Is it more talent? Is it more infrastructure? So, it’s a combination of all those things,” he said.

Blanton says employers are looking for more skilled workers, with more technical competencies, such as the ability to communicate, think critically, and work in teams.

“The vast majority of students aren’t going to stay in one job or with one company for a lifetime,” he said. “They’re going to be in several jobs, several companies.”

Blanton says the majority of the jobs require a college degree. “There are lots of jobs and job opportunities in the workforce right now,” he said. “We saw some statistics that suggested that there may be more than 100,000 jobs in any given month that are going unfilled.”

He says in the last decade the University has invested more than $4.5 billion in infrastructure on the campus. More than 8 million square feet of new or renovated space ” around classrooms, and labs and residence halls. So, we’ve shown a willingness and a commitment to build the infrastructure that’s necessary to support the work of students, faculty and staff,” he said.

Blanton says over the next several years they’re proposing $2 billion in new infrastructure, largely in the healthcare space, to accommodate the needs of patients across the Commonwealth.