LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A workforce training and placement program in the Louisville region has earned federal support for the next half-decade.
Sadiqa Reynolds, president of the Louisville Urban League, announced Tuesday the region’s Kentuckiana Builds program has won $500,000 a year in federal funding for five years.
As a piece of the larger Kentuckiana Works nonprofit, the Builds program takes in mostly Black adults looking for a career path and feeds new skilled laborers to high-paying construction jobs like those at Messer Construction.
“Once they graduate from this program and they come on board, the learning and development doesn’t stop,” said Mike Ferguson with Messer. Graduates have an opportunity to apply for an apprenticeship program, leading to higher skilled position and higher wages down the road.
“You look up and see we don’t have a representative number of Black people in construction,” said Works Executive Director Michael Gritton, who said his office helps bring underrepresented groups into the construction field, like women and Black workers of all genders.
Courtney Robinson came to the program looking for a fresh start and found a career with Messer after graduating.
“Dead end jobs are just the worst, so, nobody wants to do that,” Robinson said. “So, just going through the program and being able to come out on top with a company that — they really believe in me.”
Program graduates helped build west Louisville’s new track facility, Lynn Family Stadium, and other local landmarks.
