With Help of Federal Grant, LTADD Continues Response to Regional Layoffs

In the Lincoln Trail region, we are known for our strong work ethic and our world-class manufacturing footprint. However, when economic shifts lead to mass layoffs and plant closures, the impact is felt deeply across our dinner tables and our local economies.

Recently, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a $2 million employment recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant awarded to the Kentucky Department of Workforce Development, of which the Lincoln Trail region will receive $1.2 million. For LTADD and our Workforce team, this isn’t just a headline, it is a vital resource that allows us to step up for the workers – 2,414 statewide – affected by recent closures at facilities in our region such as Akebono Brake Corp., BlueOval SK, and Kentucky Cooperage LP.

Between August 2025 and March 2026, our region saw a significant wave of dislocations. Because these layoffs occurred in major manufacturing and advanced production sectors, the local labor market can sometimes struggle to absorb so many skilled workers into similar roles all at once.

This grant, supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), bridges that gap. It provides the extra muscle needed when local resources are stretched thin by major economic events.

This funding is specifically earmarked to provide retraining and skill development for dislocated workers in 25 Kentucky counties. For our LTADD partners and residents, this includes all eight of our service counties of Breckinridge, Grayson, Hardin, LaRue, Marion, Meade, Nelson, and Washington. 

If you have been affected by these layoffs, the LTADD Workforce team is ready to help you pivot. This grant allows us to offer retraining and reskilling, career counseling, support services, and job search assistance. 

To the thousands of workers affected by these recent closures: You are the backbone of the Kentucky workforce. While a layoff is a difficult chapter, it is not the end of your story. Our mission at LTADD Workforce is to ensure you have the tools to write a successful next chapter.

If you were impacted by the layoffs by our regional employers, don’t wait to see what happens next. Reach out to your local Kentucky Career Center or visit ltcareercenter.org to learn more about available resources in the region.