State chamber calls for improvements
The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce has released an ambitious plan for workforce development, talent attraction and business growth in the state.
It’s called “Kentucky’s Winning Strategy.”
The plan lays out where Kentucky ranks now in certain areas and where the Chamber wants it to be.
But a Chamber spokeswoman said there is intentionally no timetable for when the organization wants these things to happen.
Candance Castlen Brake, president of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, said, “In order to build a future, goals are essential. And just as essential is determining what is needed to accomplish those goals.
“The aspiration for Kentuckians to have an abundance of economic opportunity and the 10 steps, which are laid out in the strategy, are right on. Local communities around our Commonwealth who actively work to create these opportunities and accomplish these steps can truly change the lives of their citizens. Those communities who do not coalesce around shared goals will find it difficult to compete on a statewide basis, much less nationally or globally.”
The study wants Kentucky to rank as one of the top 10 states on the Tax Foundation’s Business Tax Climate Index.
Last year, the state was No. 18, up from No. 37 in 2018.
The Chamber wants population growth in Kentucky to surpass nationwide averages and those of competitor states.
It grew at half the national rate in the last census.
In 2021, 54.3% of Kentuckians had an education beyond high school.
The goal is 60% by 2030.
In lists of the top states for business, Kentucky ranks between 18th and 43rd in different surveys.
The goal is Top 10.
Kentucky’s workforce grew by 2.8% in the last census while Tennessee grew by 17.9%.
The goal is to move from the Bottom 10 to the Top 10.
Kentucky currently ranks 18th in terms of interstate highway miles.
But civil engineers give the state a low grade for road and bridge quality.
Kentucky also ranks 43rd in overall health, a figure that the study says needs improvement
The news release says the Chamber “has laid out steps that include continuing to transform the Commonwealth’s tax code, building a world-class education system, sustainably investing in infrastructure, leveraging the strengths of our signature industries, improving quality of life, bringing growth to rural communities and more.”
“Among Kentucky’s business leaders, the question of Kentucky’s future is foundational,” the plan says. “Business leaders know well the value of creating a vision for success and crafting a roadmap for how to get their company from Point A to Point B. But having a vision for success is critical not only for companies but for individual communities and states as well. We need a shared vision for Kentucky’s future.
“Taking action on these steps and bringing this vision of our future Kentucky to life will require consensus and dedication. While a Commonwealth bursting with high-quality jobs and a rapidly growing population is a vision that will resonate with many, it will require a coalition of leaders and Kentuckians to make it a reality.”
By Keith Lawrence Messenger-Inquirer