Latest / Kentucky Business News / 7.23.26

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7.23.26 · Kentucky Business News

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  Speaker 1: Hello. Today, I'll be reading from business sources in Lexington
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  Speaker 1: and Louisville, including The Lane Report and others from around
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  Speaker 1: the Commonwealth. Your reader today is Julia Shane. As a reminder,
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  Speaker 1: RADIOI is a reading service intended for people who are
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  Speaker 1: blind or who have other disabilities that make it difficult
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  Speaker 1: to read printed material. Our first article comes from the
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  Speaker 1: July twenty first, twenty twenty sixth edition of The Lane
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  Speaker 1: Report and is titled Flavorman will conclude operations of Moonshine University.
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  Speaker 1: After fourteen years of providing education and training to the
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  Speaker 1: distilling industry, Flavorman will conclude operations of Moonshine University and
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  Speaker 1: its associated programs on December thirty first, twenty twenty six.
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  Speaker 1: This decision follows a careful analysis of Flavorman's core operations
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  Speaker 1: in how the company can most effectively support the distilled
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  Speaker 1: spirits industry through product development and consulting services. It also
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  Speaker 1: reflects changes within the industry and Flavormen's belief that educational
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  Speaker 1: resources can have great impact when they are unified under
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  Speaker 1: established trade organizations, creating opportunities for broader collaboration and continued
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  Speaker 1: industry growth. Moonshine University will continue to honor its scheduled
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  Speaker 1: commitments and course dates through the remainder of twenty twenty
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  Speaker 1: six scheduled courses will remain open for registration. Since opening
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  Speaker 1: in twenty thirteen, Moonshine University has taught three hundred thirty
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  Speaker 1: seven courses, welcomed more than fifteen thousand attendees, and supported
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  Speaker 1: the launch of nearly three hundred distilleries of all sizes.
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  Speaker 1: Students have attended from all fifty states, four US territories,
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  Speaker 1: and forty nine countries. Nearly half of the attendees entered
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  Speaker 1: the market within two years of completing a course. Flavorman
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  Speaker 1: is actively exploring and engaging with industry partners to adopt
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  Speaker 1: Moonshine University course materials in existing educational programs, ensuring the
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  Speaker 1: industry and distillers' educational needs continue to be met. The
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  Speaker 1: State in Thief Society, which provides Bourbon education to bourbon enthusiasts,
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  Speaker 1: bar and restaurant owners, distillery tour managers, and other hospitality
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  Speaker 1: professionals through Associate and Executive Bourbon Steward certifications, will continue
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  Speaker 1: operating through the remainder of the year. Flavorman is also
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  Speaker 1: exploring opportunities to transition the program to another organization. Scheduled
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  Speaker 1: in person classes will continue through twenty twenty six, and
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  Speaker 1: online courses will be available for purchase and completion until
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  Speaker 1: December tenth, twenty twenty six. Additional updates will be shared
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  Speaker 1: with the Bourbon Steward community as they become available to
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  Speaker 1: our attendees, clients, faculty, partners, and friends. Thank you and cheers.
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  Speaker 1: It has been an honor to work with you. We
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  Speaker 1: are deeply grateful to be part of this incredible community
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  Speaker 1: and proud of the support and success we've shared. As
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  Speaker 1: we conclude this chapter, we look forward to seeing the
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  Speaker 1: impact our efforts will continue to have on the industry
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  Speaker 1: for years to come. David Dafoe, Founder executive Chairman Flavorman.
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  Speaker 1: Flavorman will continue to provide updates and additional information through
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  Speaker 1: Moonshine University's communication channels during the remainder of twenty twenty six.
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  Speaker 1: About Flavorman. Founded by David Dafoe in nineteen ninety two,
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  Speaker 1: Flavorman is an industry leading custom beverage development company based
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  Speaker 1: out of Louisville, Kentucky. The beverage architects create custom made
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  Speaker 1: recipes and flavors for individual clients. For over thirty years,
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  Speaker 1: Flavorman has led the beverage industry as a single source
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  Speaker 1: partner in beverage architecture and product development. Flavorman's clients range
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  Speaker 1: from startup entrepreneurs to major international players in the global marketplace.
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  Speaker 1: Flavorman's sub twenty seven thousand square foot headquarters is one
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  Speaker 1: of the largest beverage development facilities in the United States,
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  Speaker 1: including a state of the art, fully equipped flavor laboratory,
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  Speaker 1: research and development laboratory, warehouse, and production facility. Flavorman's in
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  Speaker 1: house capabilities, industry expertise, and product innovation offer its clients
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  Speaker 1: a wide range of services to turn their great ideas
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  Speaker 1: into moneymaking beverages. The next article from the Lane Report
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  Speaker 1: is titled ARC Awards UK one point seven million dollar
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  Speaker 1: grant for local food Systems and seed based Entrepreneurship across
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  Speaker 1: Eastern Kentucky, written by Jennifer Elwell. The Appalachian Regional Commission
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  Speaker 1: ARC has awarded the University of Kentucky Martin Gatton College
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  Speaker 1: of Agriculture, Food and Environment Cafe a one point seven
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  Speaker 1: million dollar grant to strengthen local food systems and expand
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  Speaker 1: seas based entrepreneurship across Eastern Kentucky. The three year project
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  Speaker 1: Strengthening Local Food Systems through Production of Appalachian Seed Crops
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  Speaker 1: launched in early June and will run through April of
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  Speaker 1: twenty twenty nine. The project, administered through the Department of
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  Speaker 1: Horticulture at Martin Gaten Cafe, supports prospective or existing commercial
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  Speaker 1: seed producers. The goal is to help them improve production practices,
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  Speaker 1: increase profitability, enter new markets, and preserve culturally significant Appalachian
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  Speaker 1: seed stocks such as Grandma's Greasy beans, which reflect generations
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  Speaker 1: of family seed saving and community exchange in Appalachia. Production
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  Speaker 1: of heritage seed crops is more than an agricultural practice.
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  Speaker 1: It's a living link to the history, identity, and resilience
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  Speaker 1: of Appalachian communities, said Cindy Finnett's UK Extension Specialist for
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  Speaker 1: Community Horticulture and project lead. Many families have lost irreplaceable
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  Speaker 1: heirloom seeds, such as during the recent Eastern Kentucky floods.
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  Speaker 1: This project helps restore that heritage while creating new entrepreneurial opportunities.
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  Speaker 1: In addition to helping seed producers start or grow their business,
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  Speaker 1: the project aims to generate and retain jobs across the
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  Speaker 1: Appalachian region and support outreach activities increasing awareness and demand
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  Speaker 1: for locally produced seed. Project partners include Grow Appalachia at
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  Speaker 1: Borea College, Community Farm Alliance, Kentucky Horticulture Council, Kentucky Center
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  Speaker 1: for Agriculture and Rural Development, and Organic Association of Kentucky
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  Speaker 1: Practical Commercial Seed Training. As part of the project's launch,
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  Speaker 1: the UK Cooperative Extension Service and berea's Grow Appalachia hosted
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  Speaker 1: the Seed Farming and Entrepreneurship Workshop on July at the
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  Speaker 1: UK Robinson Center in Jackson, Kentucky. The free, interactive workshop
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  Speaker 1: was designed for farmers, growers, and technical service providers interested
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  Speaker 1: in exploring seed farming as an additional enterprise. Finith led
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  Speaker 1: sessions on the basics of seed entrepreneurship, including regulations, business considerations,
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  Speaker 1: and required equipment. Participants then rotated through skill building stations
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  Speaker 1: focused on seed processing and cleaning, seedborn disease prevention, and
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  Speaker 1: fuel production. Thursday's workshop was a perfect blend of lecture
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  Speaker 1: and hands on demonstrations, with lots of questions and engagement
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  Speaker 1: from participants, said Steph Hambrowski of Grow Appalachia. We hope
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  Speaker 1: this opportunity and others in the future, will inspire more
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  Speaker 1: farmers and technical service providers to consider seed farming as
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  Speaker 1: a viable operation to add to their enterprise. With all
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  Speaker 1: of the disease and pest pressures facing our region, it
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  Speaker 1: is so important for us to increase the availability of
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  Speaker 1: regionally adapted seeds while also creating other potential revenue streams
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  Speaker 1: for our farmers. This program is supported by ARC as
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  Speaker 1: part of an award totaling one million, seven hundred fifteen thousand,
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  Speaker 1: five hundred twenty six dollars, with zero percent financed with
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  Speaker 1: non governmental sources. The next article from the Lane Report
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  Speaker 1: is titled Paul Paul AL eight returns to highlight decades
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  Speaker 1: of Kentucky State University research. A unique collaboration between Kentucky
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  Speaker 1: State University and AL eight one is bringing one of
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  Speaker 1: Kentucky's most distinctive native fruits back to the spotlight this summer.
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  Speaker 1: Paul Paul AL eight, the limited edition seasonal soft drink
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  Speaker 1: that blends AL eight one's signature ginger and citrus flavors
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  Speaker 1: with the tropical taste of Pawpaul, has returned to store
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  Speaker 1: elves for a second consecutive year. The partnership not only
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  Speaker 1: introduces more consumers to the largest edible fruit native to
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  Speaker 1: the United States, but also highlights more than three decades
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  Speaker 1: of research conducted by Kentucky State University. Last year's debut
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  Speaker 1: exceeded expectations, demonstrating growing consumer interests in Pau Paul. Often
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  Speaker 1: nicknamed the Kentucky banana for its flavor profile, which is
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  Speaker 1: frequently compared to a blend of banana, mango, and pineapple.
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  Speaker 1: Last year's response demonstrated that consumers are eager to discover
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  Speaker 1: paupaul when it is introduced through an approachable, high quality product,
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  Speaker 1: said doctor Kirk Pomper, Professor of Horticulture and longtime leader
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  Speaker 1: of Kentucky State University's Paul Paul research program. Seeing Paul
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  Speaker 1: paul ala return is exciting because it will allow even
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  Speaker 1: more people to experience a fruit Kentucky State has spent
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  Speaker 1: decades studying and helping move toward commercial production. Kentucky State
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  Speaker 1: University has been at the forefront of Pawpaul research since
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  Speaker 1: launching its formal research program in nineteen ninety four. Years later,
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  Speaker 1: the university established the National Clonal germ Plasm Repository for
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  Speaker 1: Paul Paul, which today includes more than two thousand trees
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  Speaker 1: collected from seventeen states and grown on twelve acres at
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  Speaker 1: the Herald R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm. Researchers have
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  Speaker 1: focused on improving nearly every aspect of Paul Paul production,
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  Speaker 1: including propagation techniques, orchard management, variety performance, fruit ripening, storage,
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  Speaker 1: genetic diversity, and commercialization. Their work has also led to
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  Speaker 1: the release of several improved cultivars, including KSU Dunnigan and
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  Speaker 1: KSU Pomper's Choice, introduced in September of twenty twenty five.
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  Speaker 1: That extensive research helped inform the development of Paul Paul
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  Speaker 1: AL eight, which is made with real sugar, natural flavors,
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  Speaker 1: and contains no artificial dyes. The beverage's return coincides with
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  Speaker 1: AL eight one's centennial celebration and will be featured during
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  Speaker 1: AL eight ones Day on August first in downtown Winchester.
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  Speaker 1: The company also plans to showcase Paul Paul Ala throughout
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  Speaker 1: the peak Pau Paul season by partnering with festivals in Ohio, Indiana,
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  Speaker 1: and Louisville. The drink will also be featured during Kentucky
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  Speaker 1: State University's two day Paul Paul Workshop on September sixteenth
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  Speaker 1: and seventeen in the university's fourth annual AG roundup on
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  Speaker 1: September twenty fourth through September twenty sixth, giving attendees an
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  Speaker 1: opportunity to learn about the research and agricultural innovation behind
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  Speaker 1: the fruit. Paul Paul Ala shows what can happen when
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  Speaker 1: long term research, Kentucky Agriculture and an ic Conna Kentucky
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  Speaker 1: business come together around a promising idea, said doctor Marcus Bernard,
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  Speaker 1: dean of the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
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  Speaker 1: and director of Land Grant Programs. Its return, expanded distribution,
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  Speaker 1: and new festival partnerships demonstrate both the commercial potential of
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  Speaker 1: pawpaul and the growing research of Kentucky. State's work. Interest
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  Speaker 1: in poppaul continues to expand well beyond beverages. Businesses across
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  Speaker 1: Kentucky and beyond are exploring the fruit's use in distilled spirits, wine, beer, desserts, preserves,
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  Speaker 1: and other value added products, creating new market opportunities for
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  Speaker 1: growers while helping establish pawpaw as an emerging specialty crop
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  Speaker 1: as consumer demand grows. The partnership between Kentucky State University
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  Speaker 1: and ALA One illustrates how university research and private sector
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  Speaker 1: innovation can work together to create new economic opportunities while
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  Speaker 1: celebrating one of Kentucky's most unique agricultural resources. The next
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  Speaker 1: article from the Lane Report is titled Biscuit Belly Acquires
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  Speaker 1: thirty four locations from Maple Street Biscuit Company. Biscuit Belly,
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  Speaker 1: a privately held, fast growing gourmet biscuit sandwich concept, announced
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  Speaker 1: the acquisition of thirty four locations from Maple Street Biscuit Company,
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  Speaker 1: a subsidiary of Cracker Barrel. The strategic purchase will accelerate
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  Speaker 1: the company's expansion across the Southeast and will bring Biscuit
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  Speaker 1: Belly to over sixty units by the end of twenty
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  Speaker 1: twenty eight. The company will convert the Maple Street Biscuit
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  Speaker 1: Company locations to the Biscuit Belly brand over the next
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  Speaker 1: eighteen to twenty four months, positioning the brand for its
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  Speaker 1: next phase of growth while remaining focused on delivering the
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  Speaker 1: elevated hospitality, guest experience, and Damn good biscuits that have
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  Speaker 1: defined it. The acquisition marks a significant milestone in Biscuit
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  Speaker 1: Belly's long term growth strategy, allowing the company to quickly
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  Speaker 1: enter new territories and deepen its presence in current markets
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  Speaker 1: by leveraging established infrastructure and store level teams, while preserving
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  Speaker 1: the culture that has fueled its success. Acquiring an iconic
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  Speaker 1: brand like Maple Street, one of the original gourmet biscuit
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  Speaker 1: sandwich concepts, was not on my twenty twenty six BINGO card,
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  Speaker 1: said Chad Coulter, co founder and CEO of Biscuit Belly.
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  Speaker 1: Two of the biggest headwinds that growing brands encounter are
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  Speaker 1: the time required to find and build locations and the
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  Speaker 1: difficulty of finding great teams. When we looked at Maple
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  Speaker 1: Street's geography, footprints, and established teams, a light bulb went off.
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  Speaker 1: Since opening its first restaurant in twenty nineteen, Biscuit Belly
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  Speaker 1: has grown to fifteen locations across the Southeast with a
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  Speaker 1: strong organic pipeline. The acquisition will more than triple the
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  Speaker 1: company's footprint and create a pathway for continued regional growth.
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  Speaker 1: The Maple Street conversions will begin immediately, starting with locations
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  Speaker 1: in the Greater Cincinnati area. In Richmond, Virginia. When we
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  Speaker 1: opened our first Biscuit Belly location, we didn't have plans
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  Speaker 1: for rapid growth, said co founder and chief biscuit eater
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  Speaker 1: Lauren Coulter. We knew it would be special, but did
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  Speaker 1: not anticipate the response from our guests. We started seeing
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  Speaker 1: our growth accelerate. We set a ten year goal to
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  Speaker 1: become the largest gourmet biscuit brand in the United States.
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  Speaker 1: This acquisition is making that goal of reality, and we're
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  Speaker 1: excited to invite all the team members from Maple Street
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  Speaker 1: to join us for this next chapter. Throughout the transition,
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  Speaker 1: Biscuit Belly intends to retain the welcoming culture and community
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  Speaker 1: connections that have made these restaurants local favorites, while also
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  Speaker 1: introducing its signature menu, colorful and modern interiors, and enhanced
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  Speaker 1: guest experience. Additional details will be announced as integration progresses.
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  Speaker 1: About Biscuit Belly. Biscuit Belly, founded in twenty nineteen, enfranchising
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  Speaker 1: since twenty twenty, opened its first location in Louisville, Kentucky,
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  Speaker 1: where it quickly became a favorite for creative Southern comfort,
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  Speaker 1: classics and gourmet biscuit sandwiches. Their chef inspired menu, paired
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  Speaker 1: with genuine hospitality, creates an upbeat environment perfect for gathering together.
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  Speaker 1: Our next article comes from the July seventeenth to twenty
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  Speaker 1: twenty sixth edition of Louisville Business First and is titled
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  Speaker 1: Jeffersonville Port gets grant for major expansion. This grant marks
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  Speaker 1: the port's largest single infrastructure investment. Written by Olivia Estreit,
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  Speaker 1: Ports of Indiana has received twenty five million dollars in
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  Speaker 1: federal funding to aid a massive expansion of its Jeffersonville Port.
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  Speaker 1: The Better Utilizing Investment to leverage development build grant, issued
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  Speaker 1: by the US Department of Transportation, will support Ports of
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  Speaker 1: Indiana's planned thirty two million dollar expansion. The expansion will
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  Speaker 1: more than double the facility's cargo footprint and increase the
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  Speaker 1: port's lift capacity from thirty five tons to three hundred tons,
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  Speaker 1: according to Ports of Indiana. The grant is the largest
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  Speaker 1: in the enterprise's sixty five year history. According to Ports
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  Speaker 1: of Indiana, it also marks the largest single infrastructure investment
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  Speaker 1: since the Jeffersonville Ports opening in nineteen eighty five. Indiana's
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  Speaker 1: ports are essential to keeping our economy moving, and this
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  Speaker 1: twenty five million dollar bill grant is a major investment
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  Speaker 1: in our state's future. Indiana Governor Mike Brawn said in
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  Speaker 1: a release. Expanding our Jeffersonville Port's capacity to move cargo
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  Speaker 1: by river, rail and truck will create new opportunities for
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  Speaker 1: Indiana manufacturers, farmers, and businesses while supporting high quality jobs
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  Speaker 1: across southern Indiana. The build grant will turn Jeffersonville's port
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  Speaker 1: into a high volume multimodal terminal. Ports of Indiana said
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  Speaker 1: the anticipated completion date is twenty twenty eight. The expansion
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  Speaker 1: project will include a three hundred ton crane system, a
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  Speaker 1: dock that spans sixty five hundred square feet in a
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  Speaker 1: twenty two thousand square foot warehouse. The warehouse will expand
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  Speaker 1: the port's heavy lift and break bolt capabilities. A release
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  Speaker 1: said this investment will dramatically increase the port's capacity to
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  Speaker 1: handle larger steel and project cargoes, increased storage and operational efficiencies,
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  Speaker 1: lower transportation costs for regional industry, and strengthen Jeffersonville's position
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  Speaker 1: as one of the Midwest's premiere multimodal freight hubs for
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  Speaker 1: decades to come. Ports of Indiana CEO Jody Peacock said
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  Speaker 1: in the release. The Build program provides grants for surface
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  Speaker 1: transportation infrastructure projects. This month, US Department of Transportation announced
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  Speaker 1: one point seventy three billion dollars in grants for one
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  Speaker 1: hundred and twenty seven projects. Ports of Indiana operates two
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  Speaker 1: ports on the Ohio River Jeffersonville and Mount Vernon, Indiana,
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  Speaker 1: and one on Lake Michigan at Burns Harbor, Indiana. The
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  Speaker 1: next article from Louisville Business First is titled AI certifications
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  Speaker 1: can boost paychecks, but experience is still key. The number
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  Speaker 1: of workers boasting of AI certifications has soared, but what
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  Speaker 1: does it actually mean for salaries? Written by Andy Medici.
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  Speaker 1: The number of workers boasting AI certifications has soared in
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  Speaker 1: recent years, and that often means thousands of dollars more
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  Speaker 1: in pay. Before the release of chat GBT in late
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  Speaker 1: twenty twenty two took the world by storm, the share
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  Speaker 1: of AI related certifications hovered around two percent of all certifications.
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  Speaker 1: Since then, the number and share of AI certifications has grown,
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  Speaker 1: reaching thirty percent of all certifications by twenty twenty six,
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  Speaker 1: according to data from Revello Labs. After controlling for occupation
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  Speaker 1: and seniority, workers with AI certifications earn on average about
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  Speaker 1: eight thousand more than those without them, according to Revello Labs,
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  Speaker 1: but that bump tends to be bigger in fields that
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  Speaker 1: are less likely to be automated, which makes those workers
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  Speaker 1: proactive in acquiring AI skills. In fields with higher automation potential,
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  Speaker 1: AI certifications still boost pay, but it's a smaller bump.
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  Speaker 1: Workers with AI certifications are also more likely to get
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  Speaker 1: a promotion, with roughly thirty nine percent seeing a higher
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  Speaker 1: seniority role in their next job compared with about thirty
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  Speaker 1: two percent among those without AI certifications. Workers are also
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  Speaker 1: more likely to leave their current employer, and when they do,
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  Speaker 1: they get an average which eighteen percent boost and salary
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  Speaker 1: compared to fifteen percent for those without certifications. Experts say
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  Speaker 1: that AI certification won't seal the deal on a job
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  Speaker 1: on its own, but it can help showcase that a
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  Speaker 1: worker has the right skills to be a good fit
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  Speaker 1: in an acrowded candidate pool. It can help a worker
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  Speaker 1: stand out. A certification will not magically make a candidate
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  Speaker 1: qualified if they are missing the underlying qualifications, said Kyle Elliott,
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  Speaker 1: a recruiting and hiring expert and career coach that said
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  Speaker 1: it can help a candidate stand out in today's saturated
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  Speaker 1: job market. If two applicants are neck and neck. A
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  Speaker 1: recent AI program gives the hiring manager a reason to
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  Speaker 1: lean one way. Business owners and hiring managers trying to
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  Speaker 1: determine which AI certifications are genuinely valuable can look to
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  Speaker 1: who issued the certificate and what it validates, which can
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  Speaker 1: help a business decide if the worker's skills will will
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  Speaker 1: help them hit the ground running. Employers can also ask
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  Speaker 1: what the candidate actually built or developed using those AI skills.
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  Speaker 1: Someone that can work through a real project has gained
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  Speaker 1: far more skills than someone who merely collected a credential.
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  Speaker 1: Elliot said for workers looking to get the most out
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  Speaker 1: of an AI certification, they should make sure they have
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  Speaker 1: specific goals. If they want to land a job at
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  Speaker 1: a specific company, look on LinkedIn to see what certifications
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  Speaker 1: the workers at the company have. The biggest mistake I
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  Speaker 1: see professionals make is treating the certificate as the finish line.
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  Speaker 1: You must pair it with hands on application, whether that
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  Speaker 1: is a project at work, a volunteer initiative, or something
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  Speaker 1: you build yourself. Elliot said. Employers want evidence you can
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  Speaker 1: use the technology, not just a check mark that you
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  Speaker 1: sat through the training. Paul Farnsworth, president and former Chief
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: Technology officer of Tech Career Marketplace, Dice agreed that certifications
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  Speaker 1: in boot camps can be a great way to get
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  Speaker 1: your foot in the door, but hands on experience carries
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  Speaker 1: more weight. No matter what you're working on, make sure
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  Speaker 1: you show your work and build a portfolio of your achievements.
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  Speaker 1: That kind of practical experience tells a much clearer story
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  Speaker 1: about what you can do and goes a long way
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  Speaker 1: with employers looking for AI familiarity in the candidates, Farnworth said.
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  Speaker 1: He said technical skills like Python, TensorFlow, Lang chain and
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  Speaker 1: understanding large language modules are great to have, but there
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: are others that are just as important. Arguably just as
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: important are the non technical skills like critical thinking, storytelling
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: with data, and being able to translate technical concepts into
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: business outcomes. Farnsworth said, AI is a team sport. You've
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: got to be able to collaborate across the roles and
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: make sure what you're building can solve problems sufficiently. Business
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: owners and hiring managers need to be able to sift
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: through the noise, too, said Joel Moroty, Senior managing partner
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: at Vertical Media Solutions. Businesses need to ask who issued
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: the certification, does it require a hands on demonstration or
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: just an exam? And what did the job candidate do
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: with it? Recent certifications for AI are also better than
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: older ones, especially in the field moving as fast as AI.
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: The biggest mistake employers make is treating all certifications equally
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: during screening. An applicant tracking system doesn't know the difference
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: between a rigorous platform certification and a weekend course, Marodi said.
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: The bigger picture. A Brookings report from late twenty twenty
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: five studied certifications in general and found a similar pattern
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: to AI certifications, namely that the more relevant the certification
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: was to the job, the bigger a pay boost it
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: would provide. The first job relevant certification provided the worker
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: a three point eight percent wage premium over the same
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: workers without a job relevant certification, while each additional certification
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: yielded incremental one percent boosts. Irrelevant certifications yielded a one
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: point eight percent pay boost, with no appreciable pay gains
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: for additional irrelevant certifications after the first. The report said. However,
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: more companies are expecting some level of AI skills from
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: their workers and aren't always offering a premium in return. Meanwhile,
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: job seekers who use AI tools in their job searches
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: received double the job offers of the typical job seeker,
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: creating an increasingly bifurcated job search market. ZIP Recruiter's latest
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: new hire survey for the second quarter of twenty twenty
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: six found that the median job seekers submitted sixteen applications,
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: completed five interviews, and received two new job offers across
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: five weeks of searching. Workers who used AI tools to
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: apply for jobs saw twice as many offers. Workers today
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: also have an opportunity to apply to a number of
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: high paying jobs that did not exist ten years ago,
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: with many of those jobs driven by the rise of AI.
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: Most businesses aren't using generative AI tools, and those that
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: are haven't cut staff as a result. That's the latest
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: from a new lending Tree analysis that found that about
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: twenty percent of businesses survey have used AI in the
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: past two weeks, while about twenty three percent expect to
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: use it in the next six months. Businesses with more
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: than twenty five workers are far more likely to use AI,
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: at about thirty seven percent. But despite big headlines predicting
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: a variety of job apocalypses, whether it's the destruction of
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: entry level jobs or the elimination of entire categories of work.
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: Ninety six percent of businesses that used AI said they
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: had no employment changes as a result. About forty three
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: percent say they use AI tools to supplement employee tasks,
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: as opposed to ten percent who say they use them
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: to replace tasks done by employees. Most of the businesses
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: not using AI say it doesn't apply to their business.
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: Most are using AI to save time on repetitive work
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: or to help employees work more efficiently, rather than eliminate
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: jobs outright. The AI shock waves that first began with
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: the release of Open AIS chet GBT in late twenty
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: twenty two have continued to work their way through the
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: business world, from trillion dollar investments in data center infrastructure
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: to growing battles over whether AI will displace large numbers
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: of jobs. Surveys underscore the tension between those who fear
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: that the advancement of AI will replace workers or undercut
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: their value, and those who will say making workers more
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: productive will increase their value and lead to a swath
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: of new jobs. This concludes the reading of the most
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: recent business news in Lexington, Louisville, and around the state.
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: Your reader today has been Julia Shane. If you have
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: any comments or questions about this program, please give our
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: Lexington Studios a call at eight five nine four two
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: two six three nine zero. Thanks for listening and now
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: please stay tuned for readings from the Kentucky series here
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: on Radio I