Kentuckians who used to work in the coal industry.

Jobs and economic development are also topics of discussion here in Louisville this week at the NCSL one of the featured sessions at this conference is looking at the ever changing workforce with experts and policymakers discussing ways to create career pass for jobs of the future.

We're also hearing from some Kentucky ends yesterday.

I caught up with Ashley Watts, president and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

He was here to discuss how cities are using technology to help bring jobs to rule areas of the state.

So this afternoon, I'm going to be presenting with someone from Vermont, a legislator from rural Georgia, about real innovation, how the technology can really help that.

And so I'm going to be talking about some of the success stories that we've seen here in Kentucky where technology has really helped him.

>> Bridge the urban-rural divide that we hear about especially the world post-covid.

We know how important technology is for economic development.

Some money put him pointing a couple of really cool examples across Kentucky where business has really been able to rob because of technological advances.

So one of the cool things on the highlight is a company called Make My move.

So their company that actually base out of Indiana, but they're here in Kentucky where they're working with state local governments to give incentive to for have people to move to Kentucky.

So we all now know that a lot of people can work remotely.

And as the chamber president always say, Kentucky is the best place to live to work, to raise a family.

We know that the kind that the cost of living here is low, the quality of life is that call it?

And so how can we attract some of these remote workers here in Kentucky?

This company partners with local and state governments to give money and incentivize people to move to rural areas.

So there was a study done with shaping our Appalachian Appalachian Region, Eastern Kentucky were about I think 60 people, 60 household actually about 150 people moved to eastern Kentucky with a small incentive about $5,000 per household.

But they won the change of living.

They want to move someplace a little, you know, more quiet, maybe a lower cost of living.

And so it's companies like this are partnering with local governments to really incentivize people to move their part.

The state.

I think technology is a really important way to talk about bridging that divide.

When we talk about broadband, especially rural broadband, we know how important that is for business for economic development.

And so now that we've been able to put broadband in especially eastern Kentucky, it's just opened up so many possibilities and opportunities for does Kentucky INS wanting this day back in eastern Kentucky.

So I think the chamber really is, I think, helping kind of, you know, bridge that divide a little bit back when one part of Kentucky wins, we all win.

And so it doesn't have to be the Golden Triangle or Appalachia.

It can be both.

And so by having people in Kentucky be able to stay in Kentuckyian attracting new businesses to Kentucky, everyone when some we love to have all these people and host of here in Louisville, all 50 states are represented.

We have legislators from all over the The weather outside is perfect for the hospitality is at its finest.

So really is an excellent way to showcase all of what we have going on here in Kentucky.

And hopefully some of these people go back to their states and bring more people here.