The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce has laid out its strategy to meet upcoming goals which include getting more Kentuckians into the workforce, and improve childcare and education.
More than three thousand Kentucky businesses make up the commonwealth’s Chamber of Commerce, and they work in tandem with around 90 local chambers.
Ashli Watts is the Chamber President and C-E-O. She says their strategy is based off input from their members.
“In the days of heightened divisions and polarizations, we really needed vision for Kentucky’s economic future we could all agree on and so this is what we agree on as Kentucky’s vision plan and basically laying out 10 key strategies on how to get there.”
Watts says one of the items in that plan is Kentucky’s rating on the Tax Foundation’s business tax climate index. She says Kentucky has gotten a good start on making changes.
“Just a couple of years ago Kentucky was ranked 37th in the nation for being competitive in our tax code, and this year, we’re 18th. That is because of the tax reform that has been passed by the general assembly over the last four and five years.”
Education is also a high priority on the Chamber’s list. Watts says education in the commonwealth took a hit during the pandemic.
“There was the pause in education and many of us had to homeschools our children and kind of stop their learning in that way and so we’re really trying to climb out of that.”
In 2015 Kentucky was ranked 8th in the nation for 4th grade reading according to National Assessment of Education Progress. Kentucky is now ranked 29th. Watts says it is important for employers to work with educators.
Hear more with Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s Ashli Watts later this week on Eastern Standard.
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