Northern Kentucky Regional Alliance Pushes Job Growth Forward in Partnership
August 16, 2018: Northern Kentucky Regional Alliance is dedicated to transforming Northern Kentucky with a focus around four key initiatives: Community Vibrancy, Health, Job Growth, and Education. As an organization, Northern Kentucky Regional Alliance and partner programs accelerate the development and growth of a talent pipeline throught the attraction of knowledge and tech-based workers.
Northern Kentucky Regional Alliance has worked with Cintrifuse and the Northern Kentucky startup ecosystem; inclusive of the Kentucky Innovation Network, Uptech, Aviatra Accelerators, and Northern Kentucky University by matching startups to the needs of NKY companies. Regional Alliance members have actively participated several pilot programs including CVG, Fidelity, Duke Energy, and St. Elizabeth Healthcare. This is clearly a long term strategy as work is scaled through NKY.
Pilot Program Examples:
CVG partnered with Losant, a start-up local enterprise IoT platform, to enhance the customer experience at CVG airport. Monitors were placed above the entrance train doors displaying real-time data on where a train is located and which direction it is going. The Commection between the two was facilitated by Cintrifuse.
Fidelity Investments has created 40 part-time jobs for NKY students with a four-year partnership with the start-up Education at Work. “Our partnership with EAW has provided Fidelity with a unique opportunity to extend our talent pipeline directly to students at colleges and universities across the Tri-state,” says Mark Scheid, Senior Vice President, Fidelity Workplace Investing. During their employment, these student workers will learn professional communication skills and how to multitask while balancing inbound customer inquiries. Along with an hourly wage, each student employee has the opportunity to ear up to $5250 in tuition assistance per year. This partnership not only gives the students real-life experience prior to graduation, but helps keep finances manageable post-graduation.
Duke Energy continues to support NKU’s Center for Integrative Natural Science and Mathematics program. The Center’s current project underway is called NextGen STEM. This program provides professional development for middle school teachers in Kentucky. The biggest benefit of this project is the teachers participating have the opportunity to learn from other teachers. NextGen STEM strengthens the teachers’ careers, having a direct positive impact on our future job force.