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Date Available

6-22-2026

Year of Publication

2026

Document Type

Graduate Capstone Project

Degree Name

Master of Public Administration

College

Graduate School

Department/School/Program

Public Administration

Faculty

Taha Hameduddin

Committee Member

Caroline Weber

Faculty

Iuliia Shybalkina

Faculty

Charles Aull

Abstract

This client-based capstone examines the drivers of higher-than-expected labor force participation rates across five counties in Kentucky, i.e., Kenton, Pendleton, Owen, Taylor, and Monroe counties. Our client, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, requested a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders to identify and contextualize factors contributing to the five counties’ overperformance. Our findings suggest that factors such as collaboration and partnership; education and career pathway initiatives; and community champions all play important roles in supporting strong labor force participation. These insights can be used by other counties seeking to strengthen their local workforce.

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