By Brenna Keller
NKyTribune associate editor
The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce hosted an Eggs ‘N Issues event centered around understanding the new drivers of Northern Kentucky’s economy.
The program partnered with BE NKY Growth Partnership to discuss how shifting demographics, accelerating technology, and changing productivity trends are reshaping the region’s economy.
Lee Crume of BE NKY moderated the panel discussion, which featured Dr. Abdullah Al Bahrani of Northern Kentucky University, Dr. Fernando Figueroa of Gateway Community & Technical College, and Dan Janka of Mazak.
Prior to the panel, there was a nonprofit spotlight presented by Jane Herms, President & CEO of the Family Nurturing Center. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. The Family Nurturing Center provides free trauma-informed counseling and evidence-based services for children who have experience abuse and for adults who were abused as children. They train people to recognize and prevent abuse and provide parent reunification services for families.
Herms noted that child abuse is preventable. During the month of April, the Family Nurturing Center is encouraging businesses, homes, and other organizations to light up blue to raise awareness of and to shine a light on child abuse. Herms connected child abuse to economic impact, noting that adverse childhood experiences have a lifelong impact on income, education, and health. Therefore, investing in prevention and healing strengthens the future workforce.
Following the nonprofit spotlight, Crume opened the conversation by announcing the publication of a new report, “Northern Kentucky Economy in Review 2025.” He briefly reviewed the five priorities identified in the report for continued economic development in Northern Kentucky:
• Build a workforce that is prepared for the economy of the future.
• Invest in the sites and infrastructure that keep Northern Kentucky competitive.
• Advance housing affordability as an economic development need.
• Accelerate the life sciences cluster from incubation to anchor.
• Elevate the manufacturing base toward high-value production.
The panel began with Dr. Al Bahrani discussing the slowdown in job growth and job opportunities driven by policy uncertainty. With decreased entry-level job opportunities, education will need to change moving forward.
Dr. Figueroa then spoke about what students should learn to prepare for the job market. He noted that while specific technical skills are required, students need to also develop social skills like critical thinking and teamwork.
Janka recalled his experience with vocational education in middle school, which lead to spending two hours a day in the machine shop in high school. And he now runs the largest machine tool company in North America. As he puts it, Mazak “make[s] the stuff that makes the stuff.”
Janka described visiting 14 manufacturing companies in the Midwest, which were all very busy. According to Janka, there are over 400,000 unfilled manufacturing jobs in the country. Automation cannot replace these jobs, rather, it can augment them to improve productivity.
Improving productivity was a major topic of conversation. Dr. Al Bahrani noted that regional economic activity grows either by increasing the workforce, or by making the workforce more productive. Population and demographic changes mean that we are not seeing an increasing number of people, so increasing productivity is key to growth. Business students at NKU are learning to embrace AI and view it is a method to augment their work, rather than as a substitute.
Dr. Figueroa questioned the idea of “skilling people up.” He noted that people are not neutral figures. You cannot just give people five skills and slot them into the economic ecosystem. Rather, the community needs to come together to support housing, education, and other spaces to improve worker wellbeing.
Dr. Al Bahrani raised the point that over the past 20 years, more people have been receiving a college education. The job market was saturated with college graduates, which lowered wages. Now the trades are being pushed, and Dr. Al Bahrani worries that a similar increase in workers will push those wages down.
He tells his students to find their passion and evolve their skills as new problems arise. Leadership skills are increasingly important for MBA students, as are skills like critical thinking and communication. Employers want career-ready workers. The days of three months of on-the-job training are no longer common at many businesses.
Janka described how Mazak adapted to an influx of new workers following the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic was a catalyst for many experienced workers retiring, and Mazak was having trouble retaining new hires. They found that younger workers wanted clearly defined career progression roadmaps. Mazak developed new performance metrics and emphasized skill development through online training modules and tuition assistance programs. These changes have dramatically improved employee retention.
The panel ended by highlighting the value of community. As Dr. Al Bahrani put it, “You’ve got to care for the people, care for the region, care for the policies that influence human beings.” He noted that a business’s team is their strongest asset. Janka once more emphasized the need to introduce middle school students to vocational training. Opportunities need to be presented to young people. Dr. Figueroa stated it simply, “Don’t be a jerk.”
The next Eggs ‘N Issues will be Tuesday, May 19, where leaders from the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK), Northern Kentucky Water District, altafiber, and a moderator from Duke Energy will discuss the infrastructure systems that keep our region moving, connected, and powered.