BE NKY Growth Partnership receives bronze award from IEDC for talent development, retention efforts

BE NKY Growth Partnership receives bronze award from IEDC for talent development, retention effortsBE NKY Growth Partnership has received a 2026 Excellence in Economic Development Bronze Award from the International Economic Development Council, recognizing the organization’s work in the Talent Development and Retention category for the 200,000-500,000-population group. Each year, IEDC honors economic development organizations, government entities, initiatives, and programs that consistently demonstrate excellence in the field. The honorees lead projects that revitalize communities and advance the practice of economic development. BE NKY’s initiative established a multi-stage talent pipeline model for the Northern Kentucky region. Through BE NKY’s Expose, Explore, and Engage framework, students move from early career awareness to hands-on exploration to employer-connected preparation for college and careers. BE NKY invested $440,000 in funding into three Northern Kentucky education organizations: Adopt A Class, TradesNKY and Learning Grove’s NaviGo College and Career Prep, and BE NKY staff volunteer once a month in local classrooms, mentoring students as part of an Adopt A Class team. “This work strengthens Northern Kentucky’s talent pipeline by connecting students, educators and employers in meaningful ways,” said BE NKY president and CEO Lee Crume. “We thank our education, business and community partners whose collaboration makes this work possible.” BE NKY Growth Partnership Source