Staff report
We Lead CS, a statewide, virtual career academy focused on expanding student access to computer science education, will announce the NKY Chamber as the first recipient of its statewide “Take the Lead” micro-grant program in a press conference Wednesday.
In 2025 We Lead CS will invest $100,000 in micro-grants with chambers of commerce across the state to address developing Kentucky’s tech talent pipeline.
The announcement will be at 10 a.m. at the Northern Kentucky Chamber’s board room at 300 Buttermilk Pike in Fort Mitchell.
Participating will be:
• Alicia Sells, CEO, We Lead CS,
• Brent Cooper, President & CEO, NKY Chamber,
• Kentucky State Representative Mike Clines (District 68), and
• Kentucky State Senator Shelley Funke Frommeyer (District 24).
Building a tech talent pipeline is essential to meet the growing demand for skilled professionals in a rapidly evolving digital economy. The partnership establishes a transformative connection between virtual IT students and employers in the region seeking skilled professionals to fill high-paying, in-demand roles.
This collaboration represents an unparalleled opportunity to bridge the gap between education and industry while strengthening the Northern Kentucky region’s economic engine.
Facts:
• There are more than 3,000 tech jobs available in Kentucky – paying an average of $80,000 a year.
• We Lead CS is a new, first-in-the-nation virtual computer science academy.
• We Lead CS is a national model that offers high school students the opportunity to earn dual credits in computer science (secondary and post-secondary) and a fast pass to a new career in all 120 Kentucky counties.
• Established in statutes in Kentucky in 2022 with passage of HB 680 and powered with a $3 million appropriation made in the 2024 legislative session, We Lead CS is carrying out the General Assembly’s charge to significantly expand Kentucky students’ access to opportunities that prepare them for jobs in the Kentucky’s technology sector.
• In 2023, fewer than 1,300 students graduated in Kentucky with computer science associate degrees and bachelor’s degrees.
We Lead CS empowers students to jumpstart their computer science degrees and gain skills sought by leading tech employers. With live, online instruction and dedicated support from We Lead CS teachers and College & Career Coaches, students can prepare for a successful future in the tech workforce while learning from their own schools. Learn more at https://weleadcs.org.