Special Initiatives
Louisville Forward’s Department of Economic Development works with several local government agencies and community organizations to support key workforce initiatives that improve our pipeline of available workforce for residents and businesses looking to relocate to or expand in Louisville.
LouTechWorks is a collaborative effort aimed at radically scaling a tech talent pipeline to connect skilled workers with the jobs of the future. Partners include Louisville’s K-12 system, local and regional institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and employers from across all of our business clusters.
Code Louisville is a public-private partnership program with the aim of training software developers to bolster technological innovation in the region. More than 1,000 participants have graduated from the program, which involves in-person mentorships with experienced industry professionals and includes an online learning curriculum.
SummerWorks develops Louisville’s young talent by helping prepare and connect youth to summer jobs, career opportunities and supportive networks. In 2018, SummerWorks staff directly placed more than 1,000 teens and young adults in jobs, and 6,200 youth overall were employed by the program’s partner employers.
Tech Louisville, a new program by KentuckianaWorks in partnership with AMPED, prepares people locally to become IT Support professionals. The program is offered at no cost to participants and incorporates classroom and online learning as well as mentorship with an experienced pro while participants earn their Google IT Support Professional Certificate. Participants must meet program requirements.
To radically scale Louisville’s IT pipeline, KentuckianaWorks and Jefferson Community & Technical College worked to develop an apprentice-style program called bit502. This unique program uses the same operational framework as KYFAME but focuses on IT education. Students in bit502 work four days at a local employer and go to school one day a week to earn their associate degree debt free. GE Appliances, Waystar, El Toro, and Texas Roadhouse are among some of the program’s best supporters and advocates.
As an immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Future of Work Initiative, powered by Microsoft brought free virtual programs to Louisville residents to build
valuable skills and credentials in specific, employer-vetted digital career tracks, including data analytics, digital marketing, software engineering and user experience design. Through continued partnerships with businesses and tech training companies, Future of Work is providing Louisvillians with access to more in-depth courses.
