The Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS) – Kentucky Future Skills Report
Kentucky's Data Insights and Innovations Award Nomination: The Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS) – Kentucky Future Skills Report
Contact Information of Individual Submitting Nomination
Nominator: John : Pallasch
Email Address: john.pallasch@ky.gov
Agency Name: Kentucky Office of Employment and Training
The Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS) – Kentucky Future Skills Report
KYSTATS met all three focus areas though creating High Impact Products and Services will be the emphasis. Their Future Skills Report utilizes LMI data to create future job demand outcomes specific to the local areas in Kentucky. They were able to provide context of current employment outcomes as well as linking their longitudinal data system to show the credentials earned that could help fill these jobs and show potential shortage areas. KYSTATS was able to provide an interactive visualization that encompasses complex data in an easy-to-use tool for the local workforce area development boards, career centers, post secondary institutions, high school guidance counselors, parents, and students across Kentucky. The broad range of audiences coupled with the statewide initiatives that use this tool have allowed all involved to make better data-informed decisions.
Statement of results, accomplishments, impacts and any other appropriate information that demonstrates why the nominee's efforts were an exceptional contribution.
The Kentucky Future Skills Report produced by KYSTATS were an exceptional contribution because of its outreach to many audiences, the magnitude and complexity of data presented in an easy-to-use way, and the national recognition of the value of this product. First, this report reaches a wide variety of audiences. Policymakers now have a tool that can help inform them of many different economic questions such as projected jobs coming to Kentucky and where areas of improvement are needed to create highly skilled workers. For example, KYSTATS led webinars and traveled to each Local Workforce Area Development Board to show how to use the tool, gather insight, and improve upon the report. Second, because this report is able to be broken down by region, local workforce development boards and other workforce agencies now have the ability to develop strategic agendas specific to their area, better answer questions on applications for grants, and provide career center staff with a tool to help place Kentuckians into the workforce. For example, the Future Skills Report was used to provide grant information for the New Skills for Youth initiative, which increased cross-institutional involvement and provided valuable industry certifications and credentials that are recognized by business and industry. Finally, this report/tool has helped increase the efficiency and effectiveness of decision-making in the state. Decision-makers no longer have to sort through numerous PDFs, request data, and interpret summaries. They now have the ability to see multiple counties/areas at once, dive-deeper into questions they may have that go beyond the 'high-level' answers, and increase their knowledge of the topic at hand before making decisions. This report has saved stakeholder time while increasing business intelligence. This version of the report, after taking into account user feedback (both employers and educators), has increased its usage by 500% relative to its previous version.
Other significant contributions
The Future Skills Report is the first of its kind where labor market information data and longitudinal education/workforce data were combined to help understand the supply of credential earners versus the projected demand of jobs. This has gotten national recognition as other states seek advice on how to create a similar product to help their economic development. It has gained attention from other state longitudinal data systems as well, helping them use the best practices for methodology and data visualization. Lastly, it has helped facilitate discussions with other states on how to potentially share resources in the future.
