Celebrating CPE's first Workforce Unit newsletter & advocating for economic progress
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This issue marks the first of what I hope will be many newsletters from the Council on Postsecondary Education's Workforce and Economic Development Unit. As we enter Kentucky's legislative session, we have so much good work to celebrate and initiatives to advocate for.
The Council on Postsecondary Education’s (CPE) 2026 biennial budget request for higher education is strategically designed to drive workforce readiness and economic growth across the Commonwealth.
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Each component of CPE’s request supports Kentucky’s long-term goal of building a stronger talent pipeline, improving access to career-aligned postsecondary opportunities, and addressing urgent workforce shortages in high-need sectors. This includes sustaining Kentucky's first student-facing education and career website, Futuriti.org, and expanding CPE's workforce and economic development footprint.
Our $250k per year request for Futuriti will support the continued development of tools like an employer benefit database, training high school counselors, college advisors, and career center staff to use the site most effectively, and helping Kentuckians meet federal Medicaid and SNAP education and work requirements.
For each fiscal year, $500k is needed to build on the success of the Healthcare Workforce Collaborative and expand efforts to other high-need sectors through new education-industry partnerships. We are also requesting $500k each fiscal year to fund two statewide strategies that support full implementation of the Kentucky Graduate Profile, a Faculty Development Center, and a Graduate Profile Fellows Program. Click here to explore our full budget request.
I hope you enjoy reading about our recent work. Please consider signing up to other CPE newsletters!
Leslie Sizemore, Ph.D.
CPE Vice President of Workforce & Economic Development
CPE hosts its third and final Healthcare Workforce Collaboratory in Lexington
 From left: Dr. Katherine A.Meece, CEO of HuMargin Group; Representative Kim Moser; Austin Reid, federal affairs advisor with the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL); CPE’s vice president of Workforce & Economic Development Leslie Sizemore and CPE president Aaron Thompson.
On December 9th, the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) held its final Healthcare Workforce Collaboratory in Lexington, uniting leaders to address one of the state’s most pressing issues: the healthcare staffing crisis.
CPE Vice President of Workforce and Economic Development Leslie Sizemore announced that enrollment in health-related majors across all public and private colleges and universities has increased 22.8%—or by 6,953 students—since 2022.
Attendees also heard from speakers on addressing the ever-changing landscape of the workforce and education, and the vital role employers play in creating positive social environments for the next generation of our healthcare workforce. Click below to watch our video recap.
CPE awards the final round of grants from the Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund
 CPE Vice President Leslie Sizemore and President Aaron Thompson pose for photos with HWIF awardees.
At the Healthcare Workforce Collaboratory in Lexington, CPE recognized the recipients of the fourth and final round of its Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund (HWIF) grants. The Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund aims to combat healthcare workforce shortages by funding scholarships for students pursuing in-demand healthcare careers.
Through four rounds of funding, CPE’s 85 public-private healthcare partners were able to generate approximately $18 million in scholarships to 1,113 Kentucky students, further strengthening communities throughout the commonwealth.
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On Dec. 8, CPE Senior Associate Mary Jackson facilitated the Collegiate Recovery Resource Center (CRRC) convening at the Campbell House in Lexington. CRRCs are designed to support students in recovery from substance use disorders and provide trauma-informed peer recovery services, academic support, and workforce readiness programs in collaboration with community recovery and behavioral health providers.
Jackson highlighted the importance of this work, presenting statewide and national data points about substance use among young adults, and discussed the importance of campus and local partnerships during CRRC updates and roundtable discussions. Campuses also talked about what is working, where challenges remain, and how institutions are addressing these various issues.
The five CRRC-funded institutions were Bellarmine University, Campbellsville University, Morehead State University, University of Kentucky, and Western Kentucky University.
Together, these institutions will serve over 71,000 Kentucky students annually, representing a significant opportunity to expand access to recovery support services within higher education settings. To learn more about CRRCs, click here.
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Photo caption: Chris Evans, executive director of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, CPE senior associate Mary Jackson, and Jessie Halladay, deputy director of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission.
 From left: CPE vice president Leslie Sizemore, Senator Brandon Storm, and Miles Feroli, senior associate at CPE.
In recent legislative sessions, Kentucky’s legislature and workforce leaders have identified the aviation and aerospace industry as a high-demand career field. Over the past year, CPE’s Workforce and Economic Development unit has stepped in to support that vision and help disperse funding granted under Senate Bill 127, also known as the AERO Act. Funding will work to ensure Kentucky schools build a strong workforce pipeline and collaborate with industry partners across the state to attract, train and retain top talent in the state. For more information about SB 127, view this webinar here. You can also learn more about aviation and aerospace careers at Futuriti.org, CPE’s college and career exploration tool. Check out the listed careers here.
WORKFORCE UNIT SPOTLIGHT
Jan Goldman currently serves as executive director of the Kentucky Community Learning Network (KCLN), part of CPE’s Education and Workforce Development Unit. CPE, in collaboration with the Kentucky Department for Community-Based Services (DCBS), created KCLN to advance efforts to build a more stable, skilled, and committed human services workforce.
Through a statewide partnership with select postsecondary institutions, this initiative helps recruit and prepare students for public service careers that directly support Kentucky’s children, families, and communities. In addition, it provides introductory and ongoing training for all DCBS employees to enhance the delivery of critical services to Kentucky families. Click below to read our interview with Jan Goldman.
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