BLUEGRASS STATE SKILLS OFFERS TRAINING SESSIONS

FRANKFORT, KY. – March 31, 2003 - The Bluegrass State Skills Corporation (BSSC) of the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development will have training sessions for all interested parties next month in your area. See below, for a schedule indicating the date, time and location of the aforementioned training sessions.

The purpose of the sessions is to brief training providers, eligible companies, economic developers and other interested parties on the new guidelines and applications for the Workplace Essential Skills and regular Grant-in-Aid programs, and the Skills Training Investment Credit program.

The new guidelines and improvements made to the application process are a result of an ongoing effort to focus on the training needs of Kentucky's business and industry community. BSSC continues to give priority consideration to the skills training needs of training consortia, small companies and counties of emphasis. Given BSSC's mandate to improve and promote employment opportunities for Kentuckians, it will embark upon an enhanced effort to address the training needs of eligible companies located in counties of emphasis.

Please feel free to contact eligible companies in your area to make them aware of the training sessions. Interested parties must contact BSSC at (502) 564-2021 or BSSC@ky.gov to reserve a seat. Seats are limited and will be reserved on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please visit our website at http://www.ced.ky.gov/ for more information on BSSC and the Cabinet for Economic Development.

*Eligible companies for the Workplace Essential Skills and Grant-in-aid programs are Manufacturing firms; Non-manufacturing firms that generate more than 50% of their income from outside Kentucky; and public or non-profit hospitals. *Eligible companies for the Skills Training Investment Credit program are manufacturing, including the processing, assembly, production or warehousing of any property; Processing of agricultural and forestry products; Telecommunications; Health care; Product research and engineering; Tool and die and machine technology; Mining; Tourism and operation of facilities to be used in the entertainment, recreation and convention industry; and Transportation of freight in support of manufacturing.

BSSC Training Session Schedule
Date Time* Location

April 8, 2003 1:00 p.m. Jenny Wiley State Park
75 Theatre Court
Prestonsburg

April 9, 2003 9:00 a.m. Hazard City Hall
700 Main Street
Hazard

April 10, 2003 9:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m.
Max 12 per session
Grayson Chamber of Commerce
112 West Main Street
Grayson

April 16, 2003 10:00 a.m. Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce
812 State Street
Bowling Green

April 17, 2003 8:30 a.m. Information Age Park
2000 McCracken Blvd. (off Rt. 62)
Paducah

April 17, 2003 1:30 p.m. Madisonville Community College
Learning Resource Center Rm. 105
2000 College Drive
Madisonville

April 22, 2003 9:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. Council of State Government,
Research Park Drive
(I75 to Iron Works Pike/KY 1973 exit 120 – right at fork in ramp- right onto Research Park Drive – 1st left)
Lexington

April 23, 2003 10:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m.
Max 12 per session
Northern Kentucky Chamber Building
300 Buttermilk Pike – 3rd Floor
Covington

April 24, 2003 1:00 p.m. UK Agriculture Office
28 Parkway Drive (turn right from 27 South at intersection with 80 – through 1st light then exit to the left, before toll starts, will see brick sign for Pulaski Co. Extension Service)
Somerset

April 29, 2003 10:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m.
Max 20 per session
Bernheim Forest Arboretum, Clermont exit off I65
Louisville Area

April 30, 2003 9:00 a.m. National Guard Association of KY
1111 Louisville Road
Frankfort

*All times are local. Please call 502-564-2021 for reservations