Think Frankfort First
While Frankfort garners much-deserved attention around the country for its burgeoning manufacturing sector and well-known bourbon industry, it is also a phenomenal place to work, learn, live and raise a family. The Kentucky Capital Development Corporation (KCDC) Think Frankfort First initiative is helping recruit new residents; support existing businesses; remove barriers for young people to remain in our community; provide housing for new residents and deliver jobs and job training for young and old.
Phase I – Frankfort, It Grows on You
This initiative provides daily posts that feature job openings and tell stories about how local businesses diversify the economy, add tax revenue to increase services, and improve schools and the standard of living for families. Among the followers are site location consultants, elected officials, and other economic development groups as well as local residents. This effort is helping dispel some of the misperceptions about local businesses and helping people realize what a wonderful career opportunity awaits them in Franklin County. Find our posts on Facebook at Kentucky Capital Development Corporation and on Twitter at KCDC Frankfort
Phase II – First New Friend
For those considering a move to any new city, it can sometimes be difficult to find good information and even harder to meet like-minded people. The First New Friend program leverages one of Frankfort’s greatest assets –its residents – to engage and secure new ones and assist Frankfort area employers with the recruitment and retention of skilled, professional staff. First New Friend is a community onboarding initiative that provides an opportunity for potential and/or new residents to connect with people with whom they have things in common. This involves a group of community concierges who are diverse in background, ethnicity, occupation, religion, and interests who assist new residents with an easy transition to a new home and create a sense of belonging within the community. If you are or plan to be, a newcomer to Frankfort, and would like to be matched with your first new friend; if you are already here and are wanting to serve as an ambassador; or if you are an employer looking for a new recruitment tool, you will find information and applications at this link. Lastly, if you are interested in providing items for the gift baskets or in sponsoring one of the local networking events, please contact Terri Bradshaw at 502-330-1732.
Phase III – Partners in Active Learning and Livability
The Partners in Active Learning and Livability (PALL) initiative features a variety of training and apprenticeship options and provides a clearinghouse for work-based learning partnerships between local businesses and every level of the local school systems, that will provide in-classroom, real-world projects in IT/cybersecurity, manufacturing, marketing, communications, horticulture, broadcasting, web design, sustainability, and healthcare.
Phase IV – Houses Make Homes
The Houses Make Homes initiative provides a housing assessment to determine the share of housing growth to plan for and promote and helps to quantify the number of housing units needed in the market. This information will be used to develop a Housing Development Strategy that will provide recommendations on how to achieve certain housing goals and policy initiatives that would benefit the local housing market.
Phase V – Come Home First
This program helps determine barriers to young people staying or returning home to Frankfort, to work and live. It focuses explicitly on the local youth and ways to remove those barriers and encourage them to “come home first” as adults.
