Statewide Workforce and Talent Team (SWAT)
The Statewide Workforce and Talent Team (SWATT) is a group of statewide organizations committed to improved measurement, coordination and delivery of workforce development solutions and services to Kentucky employers.
Who Are We?
Founding Members of SWATT:
- Secretary, Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development
- Secretary, Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet
- President and CEO, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
- President, Kentucky Community and Technical College System
- Associate Commissioner, Career and Technical Education, Kentucky Department of Education
- Executive Director, Kentucky Center for Statistics
- Associate Vice President for Workforce Initiatives, Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
- President & CEO, Kentucky Association of Manufacturers
- Chair, Kentucky State Workforce Development
Board - Associate Vice President, Workforce Development, Kentucky Hospital Association
Why SWATT – Why Now?
In 2023, Kentucky saw nearly $4 billion in new investment announcements, representing almost 7,000 new jobs. At the same time, workforce and economic drivers have led to a significant talent gap. Kentucky had 126,000 unfilled positions and 88,000 unemployed persons, creating an excess gap of 38,000 unfilled jobs.
What Is SWATT Doing?
In response to feedback from Kentucky employers, SWATT is designing and piloting a unified approach to provide workforce solutions to employers.
Our data-informed strategy is intended to improve coordination, responsiveness, and results among partners and ultimately drive workforce participation and business growth.
We are creating shared metrics, to roll out and assess a pilot in the industries of manufacturing and healthcare. We will then adapt the strategy as a model of operating excellence for execution with industry and workforce partners statewide.
What Else Is Important to Convey?
SWATT is not a new program; rather it is a commonsense way to work more efficiently and effectively to serve employers. Every organization at the table is a leader and a key to our state’s future, sharing a commitment to defining and using a range of measures of our progress and results.
Our focus is a collective approach to creating and measuring impact for employers with rewarding career opportunities for all our neighbors. Success brings enormous economic growth for all Kentuckians and not just a few. The stakes are high, and now is the time to act.
