Mayor Fischer Joins KentuckianaWorks And Goodwill KY Officials To Announce New Career Center For Louisville Youth

Louisville KY

08 December, 2021

1:49 AM

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Press release from the City of Louisville: December 6, 2021 Young adults ages 16-24 in the Louisville region now have a new improved resource for career and educational assistance. Today, Mayor Fischer helped cut the ribbon at the headquarters for "The Spot: Young Adult Opportunity Campus," a collaboration between KentuckianaWorks and Goodwill Industries of Kentucky. The Spot offers a variety of career and education services, including paid internships, job training and certifications, GED prep for those age 18-24, leadership development training, and college tours. Resources are focused on young people facing difficult life circumstances, including involvement with the court system, poverty and homelessness. Participants can access transportation assistance, funds to assist with education and employment needs and financial incentives for meeting their goals. "We know that many young people in our community are facing major obstacles in their lives," Mayor Fischer said. "Whether it's poverty, past run-ins with the law, or just lacking a mentor or support system ... these things can make it extremely difficult to get through school and start a career. The team at The Spot can help youth tackle barriers like those, which makes it a critical investment and resource." In addition to the new headquarters at 800 W. Chestnut St., on Jefferson Community and Technical College's campus in downtown Louisville, The Spot operates from the Nia Center in west Louisville, as well as in Bullitt County (Shepherdsville) and Henry County (Eminence). "When nearly 4,000 Louisvillians ages 18 to 24 are experiencing homelessness and unemployment within the last year, this is an incredibly important initiative," said Goodwill Industries of Kentucky President and Chief Executive Officer Amy Luttrell. "These young adults lack family supports and have aged out of many youth support systems, so are at risk for mental health issues, addiction, and incarceration. The Spot will provide comprehensive services and resources to help these young men and women build productive lives." "We are thrilled to be partnering with Goodwill on The Spot. The energy and expertise they bring to this project have been evident from Day 1," said Michael Gritton, Executive Director of KentuckianaWorks. "This is a comprehensive career center for the young adults in our community who need these kinds of resources and opportunities the most." The Spot serves youth and young adults ages 16-24 from Bullitt, Henry, Jefferson, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer, and Trimble counties. Funding for The Spot comes from Louisville Metro Government, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Accenture, General Motors, and FHI 360. This program was previously known as the Kentucky Youth Career Center. You can learn more about The Spot and how to get involved at www.TheSpotKY.org. This press release was produced by the City of Louisville. The views expressed here are the author's own.