>> I think the states that a good job overall, their economic development approach to trying to find the things that are awarded for Kentucky, Kentucky, seeing record-breaking economic growth, but it's coming with some challenges how the state and local communities are working to address.

This is a transition for us in this area to move from a very cruel farming community of Glendale into a lot of girls.

Kentucky's largest ever economic development project is underway in Hardin County.

What's being done to get across the finish line?

Want to hire veterans?

Just don't know how.

>> We're giving them that road map for creating the high point, helping the men and women who served our country.

The fine work after their service.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions.

Leonard Press Endowment for Public Affairs and the KET Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to a special episode of Kentucky edition.

I'm Casey Parker Bell filling in for Renee Shaw.

Kentucky is experiencing record-breaking growth in private sector investment and showing the rest of the nation.

The Kentucky is a place to do business.

Earlier this month we examine how Kentucky cities and counties can work to strengthen communities through economic development efforts in building up Kentucky.

Okay.

84 our panel of experts made of officials and economic development leaders discuss how Kentucky is attracting and growing business and how cities are coming up with growth plans tailored to the community.

The panel also address labor force challenges and what's needed to create a talent pie.

I'm for growing industries.

Now and in the future.

One of our experts, Haley McCoy, president and CEO of the Kentucky Association for Economic Development talked about the state shaping its future around certain industries.

>> Right now the state is undergoing a series of focus groups in conversations to look at a road map for the future of Kentuckyian there's a lot of consensus around not only is, for instance, manufacturing.

One of our key sectors for growth, but something that Kentucky, I think it's deciding it wants to be as as part of its identity.

So as we think about that, and it was a look at recruiting workforce and growing and what that's going to mean for communities.

I think it's important that we realize the place that everyone plays an economic development, success and that that growth will mean things like housing, health care, education will all have to grow as well.

Senator Max Wise chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Economic Development, Tourism, Labor.

>> Was also among the forms panel of experts.

He outlined some of the policies passed by the Legislature that has given Kentucky an economic boost.

When I look at, though, the work we've done is a legislative body that could be where we are today.

I think a lot of it goes back to the Pats on the back need to be to our legislative leaders.

>> We start back with a right to work.

You also look at tax reform.

You look all the policy they've been doing, the investment also that we made to our area technology centers are late next.

Our school systems and making sure that that next generation of high school graduates who come out with those skills they're necessary to write in the workforce.

You know, we're policy is a state that we want to KET families here in Kentuckyian attract new families into the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

And I think what was mentioned, we look at a lot of things that are growing in terms of the aviation.

We look at transportation.

Look at manufacturing energy.

There's a lot of things right now.

They're very positive for Kentucky.

And I look forward to, you know, with my legislative colleagues, we continue progressing Kentucky in the right direction.

It's billed as Kentucky's for economic development project.

>> Louisville SK is investing more than 5 billion dollars in Hardin County to produce batteries for Ford and Lincoln Electric vehicles.

The site is under construction in the Glendale community in Hardin County.

Our Laura Rogers shares more on that project's impact and what still needs to be done to complete it.

>> It's an exciting time.

Hardee County.

It's challenging, but it's exciting.

Hardin County, judge executive.

He's tall as one of the government officials overseeing the progress on this 1500 acre construction site.

>> I speak that language.

You know.

>> Was an automotive manufacturing 4.30, over 30 years.

>> Knowledge that's proving helpful for 2 massive EV battery manufacturing facilities being built in Glendale.

>> So you have Ford Motor Company.

You have this billion dollar company.

>> That has confidence.

In my little town.

>> Brian Wheeler is a Hardin County native.

He's returning home after 30 years.

A way to manage one of the 2 new plants.

This property nice run around on now as these 2 buildings, 4.3 million square feet each.

They're going to be the number one producer, batteries in the industry, blue Oval SK Battery Park aims to help Ford meet its goal of producing 2 million electric vehicles by the end of 2026.

>> The project is its on schedule.

>> We're learning a lot about our counterparts.

They're learning a lot about us.

It's a very good relationship.

>> There has been a long relationship between Ford and Kentucky, but now a new one with SK on that.

>> Everybody knows escape.

But this K is for the number 2 business conglomerate.

South Korea.

>> With a project this size comes challenges, namely getting infrastructure up to speed to accommodate the growth, projected to increase population size by 22,000 people and the next 3 years.

>> This is a transition for us in this area to move from a very rule farming community of Glendale into a lot of growth.

>> That growth includes new roads, additional water and sewer lines among other needs.

We're looking at new housing you know, single-family homes and apartments and >> new restaurants are several announcements this week on the restaurant.

>> Rick Games has been involved with the mega site for 20 years working on environmental surveys and utility infrastructure.

When you take on a project of this size and then all the growth that goes with it, we're still continuing to look out 5 or 10 years.

And what are we going to need to KET the growth rate as it is today?

So we're working on those along with the city every day.

>> The project is expected to create 5,000 jobs, but officials say the impact will extend beyond the Glendale site.

There are probably going to be around 10,000 jobs created around the state because of this project.

Jobs on-site range from base operators to experienced engineers.

This is new technology.

It's very heavy in the engineering field research and development field and officials hope blue Oval SK will help retain young talent in Central Kentucky.

I think many of us in Hardin County in the surrounding region see this as >> quite an investment in the future of each one of us and our children, our grandchildren.

>> Now for the first time in the history of specially was.

But I'm going do we have a world-class 2 powerhouse companies joined in this joint venture in in our backyard.

>> Developed get workers job ready.

The Kentucky community and technical college system is building the EC TC Global SK Training Center.

What makes this so exciting is who it is.

Ford and SK on are both huge.

>> Very reputable companies.

And, you know, we're just excited that they've come together this Jamie in joint venture and then and they chose this site.

I'm excited about it.

And at the same time I feel the, you know, the pressure, the responsibility to make it all happen into the lead in that way.

>> So that we don't fall behind.

I'm excited.

Let's do it right.

Let's make it happen.

>> For Kentucky Edition.

I'm Laura Rogers.

Ted Abernathy and nationally acclaimed economic development strategist help states and communities evaluate their economic positioning and competitiveness.

He stopped by our studio to talk with our Renee Shaw about how communities can build up better.

Why companies are drawn the smaller communities to develop mega projects as well as the issue of worker migration.

>> What good economic development strategy look like?

One of the main ingredients or the stool, the legs of the stool that to be in place of business, climate.

>> is there that's your position, your regulatory climate, if you're at the local level, it's how good that you would argue it permitting in getting something Usually your legal climate so once stole second.

Still most important school is workforce.

Do you have enough people to do the jobs that are needed and they have the right skills.

And then the 3rd piece is the product That's infrastructure.

But infrastructure is a lot of it.

We think water and sewer.

We think sometimes roads or airports, but it's housing its buildings and sites.

It's a lot of different, Bob and lot of different things.

And so if you have the product and you have the labor, you have the business climate than you usually do pretty well, right.

So what states are doing and what states are working to do so.

>> Unfortunate places in the south doing pretty well.

If you look at Florida's numbers, if you look at North Carolina, Tennessee's numbers Texas was doing the best and they've cooled down a little bit.

But then out West, if you look at Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Arizona, places as Southerners, we don't really think of life that they refer to as the inner Mountain West out There are growing faster than anybody else right now.

So I a lot of exit in California for one reason But lots of open land.

It's pretty people are moving there in droves and so they can find the workers they need.

So if you want to be in the Las Vegas area down the right.

The report came out this week, the number one place that young people would most like to move.

So if you can get the labor force, that's a big deal.

So they're doing all right.

On the other side, you don't want to or caught too many things.

of the Delta area.

The South still struggles with those parts.

Parts of the northeast still struggle and then the upper Midwest has the problem of maintaining its labor.

You can't can't really get a lot of people want to move to the upper Midwest right now.

And so those are the parts of the country that are struggling to win a couple things we were doing work in Hawaii, Hawaii, struggling because the tourism post-covid and that's created a specific problems in some places.

>> Kentucky, how does Kentucky shore up pretty And since the beginning of COVID, the country's growing jobs at about 3%.

Kentucky scrolling about 4% at.

>> And in certain sectors like manufacturing, some of the fastest growth in the country.

Really strong growth in construction and the nice part about that is it's a precursor to what's going to happen next as we don't build things of us were building up for some buddies home, more some company.

And so that they do that really I were talking before.

I don't know that we have said that really 10, 15 years ago.

I don't know if Turkey is pathe was is clear.

But the recent days has been really good.

>> So what's have brightened that pass?

I think a bunch of things.

I think some things have been done at the state level that makes the business climate better your right to the top 20 for tax climate.

Now.

>> Affordability is becoming a bigger issue for companies.

And so compared to other places, you're still an affordable place.

And then some of the changes have been around what sectors are growing.

And so automotive is in a trance information.

You're already a strong automotive state distribution has changed in your position.

Will the middle part of the country with good transportation links your energy resources are good.

It's been a variety of things.

But also I think the states that a good job overall and their economic development approach in trying to find the things that are going to work for Kentucky.

>> local economic development.

are just as important as what happens on the state level right?

>> They are.

If you don't have the product locally, if there's no buildings or sites, if it's not zoned correctly, if they don't have water and sewer capacity, you don't.

We have a it's really simple.

When you start looking at where company is going to make a decision, it's a filter to big filter.

And if you don't have the products, you can't do it.

So if your local community do have a building, you know, have sites that you can point out that there's a an adage in the field that no product, no know that holds true every time.

We just want to wear that way.

So they've got to be there.

They also have to go to market.

They have to let people know they're they're they have to work with their local school systems in their community colleges to make sure that they can get people trained.

So a lot of it happens at the local level where the regional level, the when you think about the big announcements around the country and there's been a bunch of megasite announcements of they're not in the city as you might think.

The Rams so Toyota announced a battery plant in my home state of North Carolina.

It's in Randolph County air bases near Greensboro.

Sunday brings Barajas.

Well, if you look at where plants are all over the country, they don't typically end up in the downtown.

They end up in a smaller community that got its act together early around bigger areas.

So and small communities, they don't and they don't have to grow with a big amounts.

But either they can grow with homegrown.

All of this starts with helping your existing business.

They'll grow if they can find labor.

If you go out today in this business, would you grow if you could find enough people to work for you?

They all say yes, right?

Well, you can grow a lot of different ways so communities can have different strategies.

Some of the work we do for people trying to figure out where the industries are headed.

So what does car manufacturing look like in 20 years with his energy growth look like what does the it industry look like?

They're going to artificial intelligence on its own to change all of us.

Yeah.

So if you're prepping, what are you prepping for?

A dive?

I've heard the from the county say that if they started over, they would dissipate double or triple the needed infrastructure that they did.

Even before this plan, they thought they were ready.

Yeah.

And today what we thought was enough energy in America.

That's our next frontier is how do we generate more would generate more we ever have my but how we generate even more because the next round wants more.

>> To the point about the labor and the workforce shortage.

And we think about a big plant that comes into a Glendale Hardin County community.

And they say, oh, we 5,000 workers and I think perhaps maybe some of the smaller businesses may fear want my I might lose my workers to this higher paying job.

So how do you those those losses or gains as it may So there's going to be the benefits.

But there's the threats real or what you just described.

And we do.

Sean, now so sure, companies some of the moving from big expensive places to less expensive places.

And they say.

>> Well, I don't how I have to do is out pay.

The current company.

All right.

So I didn't I didn't go down wages but get there.

So it's real.

But if you have a plant like that, the in an economic parlance, there's induced an indirect costs that are benefits for the community.

They're going to raise a lot of things that community are they likely to lose workers?

Everybody loses workers all the We live in a dynamic society they're probably lose some during the construction phase.

They already have.

but I've spoken to that economic over.

He says so far, businesses a pretty upbeat about this place, the opportunity more than we see threats.

Northern Kentucky's largest city Covington.

He's seen significant economic growth over the past few years.

Panel member Joe Meyer, mayor of Covington talked about the steps his city has taken to encourage private sector investments, starting with the change in zoning codes.

>> Where a city where you can have a commercial building, an industrial building, a single family home, multiple story apartment building on the same Okay.

And we're finding that that's an asset people like that environment.

So, you know, our our legal structure and courage is that.

The second thing was an attitude change a lot of developers and city governments are at loggerheads and we took the the attitude very publicly that we wanted not to be dramatic, that we wanted to be barring that we wanted to be reliable, that we wanted to be trustworthy so that when developers came to see us, we vetted everything so that once it was ready to go, it was really ready to go.

No drama, no chaos.

And so we've had just a remarkable >> amount of development within the city.

>> And I can't help but think that that attitude.

Is a big part of the of the reason.

The next 10.

Is when you're dealing with that with the workforce attraction in particular, quality of life, you want to have a city where people want to be and then we can have a long about that.

Your IRS site question the Covington had that major IRS processing center on 23 Acres right in the heart of downtown.

Right next to the Ohio River.

They close it.

In 2019, the city bought the property in 2020.

We went through an entire planning process that involved our community that instead of building high rises and then Cincinnati junior, we decided to be Covington on steroids.

So where we are not using a master developer.

We're developing it and selling Lauch so we can take advantage of small developers.

We are having human sized housing developments, not 10, 15, 20 story buildings for 2, 3, 4, 5 story buildings they're having are kind of mixed use.

Isn't there?

A single family homes, condos, apartments, commercial Convention Center expansion so tells all part of it.

A master plan calls for reconnecting that area to this river taking one street to the top of the flood wall.

Removing the flood was a barrier and creating a lot of open space.

Let's plan was all develop was a lot of input from the from the community.

So represents community values and then we're doing something really weird.

We're actually implementing the plan.

>> What it set out to show the dust.

So we're at the point here.

>> There where we are about ready to go out and said under have the major construction for the infrastructure under way.

This 23 Acres, one building one floor building.

Of course, it was all the mileage and got really have a an empty empty lot down.

So we're putting back the urban grid that was there before the urban renewal.

So the cross streets and the north Rush streets where we're recreating the sense of neighborhood with our our structure with our with our approach.

And then we have already got a major developers lined up to begin the first phase of construction.

As soon as we have the infrastructure in place.

>> In order to fill jobs today and in the future, Kentucky has to strengthen its talent pipeline.

Chris Kerber president and CEO of Somerset, Plaskett County Economic Development Authority talked about efforts in Somerset and Pulaski County to get public school students involved in work based learning opportunities.

>> Workforce is the biggest issue facing every single community in the commonwealth right now.

And what we have been doing it in the Somerset, plastic and a community is trying to hit it head-on.

We're working in our detention center on reentry programs trying to teach those who are incarcerated a certain skills and technical trade so that when they do get released are able to go to work.

We work in partnership with Somerset Community College on that where these folks are actually getting welding certificates, industrial maintenance certificates and are actually employed while they are incarcerated and they have guaranteed employment upon release.

I think also the K 12 educational component can never be left out of that.

That is so personally for the for the Universal Pre K I would love to see these kids get into school a little earlier because we're going to pay for on the front and we're going to pay for it on the back in.

I think that's something very important for us.

Is the commonwealth to consider moving forward as well.

Covington Mayor Joe Meyer also talked about the ways his city is building up the skills of its workforce.

>> One of Covington philosophies is to try to be a city of opportunity for everybody that lives in the city.

>> So we started the 3 major programs on was Covington.

Connect, which took the idea of the free Wi-Fi that's available downtown.

And we spread it throughout the city based on the residents of are coming to public school students in the neediest areas of the city as a result of that, it's not just broadband.

It's direct Internet connection.

We have had more than one and a half million Internet sessions on our free public Wi-Fi system averaging almost an hour.

Each we about had over 300,000 public school sessions on our free public Wi-Fi.

Another thing that we did was look at our youngest, the percentage of children who are school ready in Covington as way low.

So we it's invested in the program called read Ready, Covington to provide early literacy for children from age 3 to grade 3 with 2 goals was to get a higher percentage of children ready for kindergarten.

And the second is to have a higher percentage of children reading on grade level at the 3rd grade.

That is a great thing.

Coming up, the back end, we major opportunities in the construction cranes.

That's an area where we're at.

And our local community college was not able to meet our needs.

So we cut a deal with a northern Kentucky home dollars.

And in the left Eye, a section of Covington.

We we now have a construction pro training program with training and 7 trades available during the daytime to high school students throughout northern Kentucky and for adults in the evening.

So they can and a bone up on on their skills and in conjunction with that, we started the Edge trades Program.

Why?

Because Covington has thousands of very old buildings and the construction techniques of today don't work when you're working buildings.

Companies need workers.

Veterans Day jobs.

>> But how does Kentucky put the 2 together?

The Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board hope symposiums like one recently held in for sales will help make it easier for vets to make the sometimes tricky transition to the civilian workplace.

>> We're hosting our second annual Veterans Employment and training symposium with partners at the Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs, Kentucky Department of veteran Affairs, The Chamber Foundation and also Department of that's program and all these partners came together and said we need to figure out a way to promote the idea of veterans in the workplace and make sure employers have an avenue to hire and grow their talent.

The first one that we did last year, it was a very spontaneous event where a couple of us were together talking about what the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board could do to highlight veterans and the transitioning service members.

Let's put them all in one room, bring in employers to share with them how they can use these different resources to engaged with veterans and transitioning service members to get them employed so that we can attract more people back to Kentuckyian KET those that we have.

We understand that a lot of companies are in great need of employees.

They're growing.

We see that as a great positive for the common law.

But we also need to find out at venues that have been traditionally source.

And when companies are thinking, where can I hire from?

We often want to point them to what we call untapped talent pools.

One of those on teh town pools are veterans and their the cultural diversity of the military is very unique.

We are one of the most diverse cultures because of the nature of our business.

And then as we leave the military, we take those skills that we've learned and appreciating the value of each team member and how they work together and do different into the workplace where they can continue that using us to we need to get to the people I was chairman someone else earlier that the most important thing here is that this is what we have to learn and understand and get through to get in front of the people to serve them better and the people being the veterans now.

>> It's a I think the bears are way the cultural understanding what it takes to hire and develop and grow its not just easy of to post on indeed and hope that someone shows up to your door to apply and then work.

>> It's about being able to reach out and find solutions through the resources available.

The feedback that I've it's been incredible.

The players are going.

Are you kidding?

We can really do this.

We want to hire veterans.

We just don't know how and we're giving them that roadmap.

We're creating the pipeline.

We're looking for people who come in and add to our culture and we can and to them as well.

So that's what I would tell anybody, especially the veterans we we want you to be a part of our team because we value menu is a member who can bring something to us and we can get something to eat.

>> We hope you'll join us again tomorrow night at 6.30, East, earn 5.30, central for Kentucky.

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