Kentucky is one of the 10 states selected to participate in New Skills for Youth (NSFY), an initiative enhancing state efforts to increase the number of kids across the country who are prepared for success in both college and career. NSFY is a $75 million, five-year initiative developed by JPMorgan Chase & Co. in collaboration with the Council of Chief State School Officers, Advance CTE and Education Strategy Group.
In Phase One of the initiative, the Kentucky NSFY team began harnessing the commonwealth’s existing resources — including an extensive work-based learning program and one of the nation’s strongest longitudinal data systems — to advance career readiness. Through NSFY, Kentucky is working to ensure that all students have access to the high-quality career pathways they need to meet the economic demands of the commonwealth.
Phase Two of the NSFY initiative began in January 2017. This snapshot profiles Kentucky’s progress in the first year of Phase Two, including:
- Implementing regional career academies: The Kentucky NSFY team is working to convert area technology centers (ATCs) into regional career academies (RCAs) that take a comprehensive approach to integrating academic and technical instruction.
- Improving cross-sector use of labor market data: Kentucky is establishing updated standards for data collection and analysis, making comprehensive labor market information easier to gather and understand.
- Strengthening Career Technical Education (CTE) teacher induction and support: Kentucky is providing training and support for teachers, with a special focus on improving education quality and teacher retention in the CTE field.
To learn more about this work, ready Kentucky’s NSFY Phase One Snapshot.
