Counties Served:  The West Kentucky Workforce Investment Area provides regular Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and related American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) programs and services to the seventeen (17) counties in the Purchase/Pennyrile region :
Purchase: Ballard, Calloway, Carlisle,  Fulton, Graves, Hickman,  Marshall, McCracken
Pennyrile: Caldwell, Christian, Crittenden, Hopkins, Livingston, Lyon, Muhlenberg, Todd, Trigg

ARRA Programs/Funding for West Kentucky

ARRA 2009 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) – “Summer Works”

The West Kentucky Workforce Investment Board designed a multifaceted approach targeting 18-24 year olds combining traditional work experience placements throughout the 17 counties along with project based/community service work experience in some counties.  Work experience is six weeks in length.  “Summer Works” seeks to have at least 10 green projects in the area.  Examples of WKWIB projects include the following: “Paint the Town” is a project where the City leads the group of youth in painting building fronts and improving the streetscapes of the downtowns.  Several of the Mayors have targeted this effort where by the store owner/business buys the paint and the city provides supervision and equipment.  “Cemetery Restoration” involves a city and two counties agreeing to clean and restore older cemeteries.  Historical information will also be a part of the project focus.

One county is adjacent to a major solar panel manufacturing plant that is being constructed.  The worksites in that county would devote a specific set-aside time to have workers to participate in planning and implementing a community awareness campaign to make the public aware of the educational requirements and the wages/benefits of being involved in the “green” movement.

‘Summer Works’ Contact Information: 
Pennyrile Counties Contact:
Wanda Lyons - 300 Hammond Drive - Hopkinsville, KY 42240, 270-707-9675 or wanda.lyons@ky.gov

Purchase Counties Contact:
Kim Mathis - 1002 Medical Drive - Mayfield, KY 42066, 270-247-7171 or kim.mathis@purchaseadd.org.

Click here for more information on the Youth stimulus program: West KY - Youth Stimulus Program

Office Locations

The Commonwealth's implementation of the ARRA

Find out more about the Federal Stimulus

The Kentucky Office of Employment and Training (OET) is part of the Department for Workforce Investment.  
OET Staff provide job services, unemployment insurance services, Labor Market Information, and training opportunities.