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KCTCS President Jay Box participates in first meeting of workforce advisory board at White House


Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) President Jay K. Box attended the first meeting of the American Workforce Advisory Policy Board Wednesday at the White House.

Box is one of 25 members appointed to the board by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. The board is developing the best ways to advance a national workforce strategy and is co-chaired by Secretary Ross and Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump.

Jay Box

“There’s a tremendous shortage of qualified workers, not only in Kentucky but all across the U.S.,” Box said.
“Currently, there are 7.3 million open jobs nationally. That means there are many opportunities for people who have the right training and education. We can’t continue to deliver education using the current methods. We have to provide innovative ways for people to get training that works for them as well as for employers.”

Board members discussed opportunities and ideas around four main goals as outlined by co-chair Trump:

Develop a robust campaign to promote multiple pathways to good-paying jobs, dispelling the myth that there is only one path to a successful career.

Improve the availability of high-quality, transparent, and timely data to better inform students and educators, as well as match American workers to American jobs.

Modernize candidate recruitment and training practices to expand the pool of job applicants employers are looking to hire.

Measure and encourage employer-led training and investments. The board is championing and seeking to further private-sector leadership and investment in workforce development.

“I applaud the president and his administration for creating this board,” Box said. “It’s a great opportunity to bring together some of the best ideas in business, labor, nonprofits, education and government to explore these important workforce issues. I’m honored to be part of it and look forward to contributing more about how community colleges can help solve our nation’s workforce shortage issues.”


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