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SPECIAL INFORMATION REGARDING FILING FOR UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DURING THE COVID 19 OUTBREAK

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Kentucky Career Center - Cumberlands will not be providing in-person services until further notice. Below is the information you need about filing Unemployment Insurance claims.

Are You Eligible?
If you are laid off due to the Coronavirus outbreak, you may be eligible for unemployment insurance.

Waiting Period Suspended
Governor Beshear's Executive Order means that the seven-day waiting period is temporarily suspended.

You Will Need The Following To File Your UI Claim
PERSONAL INFORMATION

  • Social Security OR Alien Registration Number
  • Business Information
  • Dates of Employment
  • Complete Mailing Address;
  • Phone Number

EMPLOYER INFORMATION (for the last 18 months)

  • Business/Company Name
  • Business/Company Mailing Address
  • Business/Company Phone Number
  • Dates of Employment
  • Reason you are no longer working for EACH employer

OTHER INFO YOU MAY NEED

    • If you worked in other states: List of states in which you worked.
    • If you worked for a Temporary Agency: Name/Address of Temporary Agency.
    • If you worked for the Federal Government: Agency name; Component name; Copy of your Standard Form (SF8, SF50).
    • If you were in the US Military: Copy of your DD214 Member 4.
    • If you worked through a skilled trade union; Name of contractor.

Daily Claims By Last Name
In order to serve you better, UI claims will be filed on a specific day of the week based on the first letter of your last name.

THIS WEEK

      • Sunday, March 22: A-D
      • Monday, March 23: E-H
      • Tuesday, March 24: I-L
      • Wednesday, March 25: M-P
      • Thursday, March 26: Q-U
      • Friday, March 27: V-Z
      • Friday, March 27: If You Missed Your Day

To File A Claim
Visit:
https://uiclaims.des.ky.gov/eBenefits_enu/start.swe?SWECmd=Start&SWEHo=uiclaims.des.ky.gov
Or Call:
502-875-0422 or 877-369-5984

Questions About Your Claim
If you have questions regarding your claim, please contact your local Kentucky Career Center at 606-677-4124 or the state at 502-875-0442 or 877-369-5984.

KCC Physical Office Locations Closed
Following Governor Beshear's executive order, all 13 physical office locations of the Kentucky Career Center - Cumberlands will remain closed until further notice. While our physical locations are closed to the public, please continue to follow our Facebook/social media or visit our website at http://www.cumberlandsworkforce.com to stay informed about the latest information.

UI Infographic 5

Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center speakers at the Transformational Round Table meeting in Somerset, Kentucky.

Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center Employment Specialists Ashley McCarty (foreground) and Sonia Osman presented personal stories and highlights from the Kentucky Chamber's recent report "Opioid Abuse in Kentucky: The Business Community's Perspective."

A roundtable meeting of business leaders and owners, human resource professionals, judicial officials, and workforce personnel met on Friday, February 21, 2020, to discuss the issues, impact, and solutions to Kentucky's opioid crisis and its effect on the state's workforce.

Kentucky's business community has become acutely aware in recent years that the state's addiction epidemic is more than a public health issue. It has become a serious workforce issue, and employers are feeling its impact firsthand. As businesses struggle to find and retain workers, the opioid crisis is making the challenges even greater for HR leaders.

Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers that are available legally by prescription — oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, and others. Although the National Institute of Drug Abuse reports that opioid pain relievers are generally safe when taken for a short time as prescribed by a physician, their abuse (such as being taken in larger quantities than prescribed or without a prescription) can lead to addiction, overdose incidents, and deaths.

The White House Council of Economic Advisors recently estimated the annual cost of the opioid crisis to the nation's economy at more than $500 billion — about 3% of the Gross National Product.

Kentucky opioid epidemic by the numbers:

  • In 2019, more than 1,300 Kentuckians died from drug overdoses — an average of more than three people each and every day.
  • Kentucky is a top ten state for opioid-related deaths.
  • The largest age demographic of overdose deaths in the state is 35-44.
  • Workers who abuse opioids miss an average of 29 days of work each year.
  • Between 21-29% of people misuse prescription opioids
  • 70% of Kentuckians believe that addiction is a disease

Employers looking for added support to navigate effective policies in the areas of hiring, treatment, recovery, and prevention to combat the addiction epidemic have a number of resources available. The Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center offers the Opioid Response Program for Business at no cost to employers. Their team can work with businesses to audit existing policies and make recommendations for the best practices for maintaining a drug-free workplace while supporting a recovery-friendly culture. For more information contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A new program expanding in the state is the Kentucky Employer Resource Network (ERN). The ERN model is an innovative approach to workforce development that has proven successful in a handful of states where the initiative has been deployed. James Vander Hulst of ERN USA presented an overview of the program and the advantages to employers and the communities that adopt this approach. The program boasts retention rates of up to 98 percent with participating employees, increased ROI as high as 600 percent, improved employee productivity and attendance, and more. For more information visit Kentucky ERN.

The Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center and the Strategic Initiative for Transformational Employment (SITE) established the event with support from Malone Hiring Solutions, the Employer Resource Network USA (ERN), Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, Kentucky Career Center, and the Somerset-Pulaski County Economic Development Authority (SPEDA).

SPEDA representative Chris Girdler at the Transformational Round Table meeting in Somerset Kentucky

Chris Girdler, President & CEO of SPEDA, welcomed participants and expressed his organization's support for the efforts being discussed at the roundtable session.

round table speaker James Vander Hulst

James Vander Hulst, Chief Disruptive Officer, USA ERN/President, Michigan ERN, presented an overview of the Kentucky Employer Resource Network. One of the keys he discussed with the program is the idea of a Workplace Success Coach and how this position helps to reduce life barriers for employees.

 

Governor Andy Beshear announcing Unemployment insurance customer service expansion

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 19, 2020) — Today, at the state Capitol, Gov. Andy Beshear announced his administration is working to speed up unemployment insurance claims and is recovering thousands overpaid to deceased workers compensation fund beneficiaries. Both actions improve operations so that state government better serves Kentucky families.

Dedicated unemployment insurance staff at career centers
Gov. Beshear said, he and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, who also serves as Education and Workforce Development secretary, had the state retrain current staff in the state’s 12 local Kentucky Career Centers (KCC) to help Kentuckians who need to obtain unemployment insurance assistance.

“In times of need, Kentuckians should be able to quickly talk with someone who can help them,” said Gov. Beshear. “Jacqueline and I knew more needed to be done to help families struggling so we took action. We have now trained current employees on how to process unemployment insurance claims, which has decreased wait times on the help line and is allowing us to provide the face-to-face customer service Kentuckians want and deserve. Since the change last week, staff has helped over 1,000 customers and call wait times have seen a 50% decrease.”

Lt. Gov. Coleman said, as our new administration took office, it became clear that Kentuckians were not getting the help they deserved and we took steps to begin improving services.

Wayne County Judge-Executive Mike Anderson and Cumberlands Workforce Development Board (CWDB) Chairman Sam Brown

Wayne County Judge-Executive Mike Anderson (left) and Cumberlands Workforce Development Board (CWDB) Chairman Sam Brown recently signed an agreement for Wayne County Detention Center's participation in the Pre-Release Employment Program.

Wayne County joins Russell and Pulaski counties in the regional effort to create pathways for inmates and low-income individuals to rebuild their lives by equipping them with knowledge and skills to gain employment and become successful members of the communities in which they live.

Working with dozens of community organizations and employers in a growing number of counties in the Cumberlands Workforce Development Area, the CWDB is leading the effort to knock down barriers that often block a person's successful reentry into their community. Barriers such as housing, food, transportation, documentation, and more.

Russell County Jailer Bobby Dunbar speaks to a group of soon-to-be released inmates at the Russell County Detention Center on January 10, 2020.

The Russell County Detention Center recently hosted its third Pre-Release class to inmates with upcoming release dates. Russell County’s Pre-Release Program aims to reduce recidivism among released prisoners. The Pre-Release initiative is a response to the Bureau of Justice Statistics found within five years of release, about 76% of released prisoners were rearrested. 

In an effort to break the cycle of criminal behavior, the Pre-Release program takes a comprehensive approach by offering tools to help individuals become productive members of the workforce. The education session at the Russell County Detention Center included information on healthy living, education, probation and parole, employment resources and much more.

Speakers included Cumberlands Workforce Development Board Director Myra Wilson, Health Benefits Assister Carol Johnson, and Lake Cumberland Area Development District Executive Director Darryl McGaha.

A number of agencies participated in the program, offering workshops and talks for the inmates:

Cumberlands Workforce Development
Russell County Department of Corrections
Goodwill Industries
Sky Hope Recovery Center
Oxford House
Rural Health Opioid Program
Lake Cumberland Area Development District
Russell County Attorney

Kelly Strunk puts the CDL simulator through its paces as program coordinator John Mitchell looked on.

SOMERSET, Ky. — A new four-week Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) program at Somerset Community College is steering students toward a career with huge demand and the potential for a steady paycheck.

Program instructor John Mitchell said that graduates could see immediate results. “There are very good employment possibilities for truck drivers in this area,” he said and notes that “a CDL is a guaranteed paycheck for the rest of your life.”

Classes are held on SCC’s Somerset campus for 10 hours a day, four days a week, for four weeks—160 hours. Forty of the hours are in the classroom and 120 hours are “in the trucks, driving and performing maneuvers,” Mitchell said.

The program, administered through Workforce Solutions, has three trucks. When the course is completed, students will have learned all the necessary skills to take the Class A CDL license test. The evaluation is administered by the Kentucky State Police, and Mitchell says the college is involved throughout the entire process.

Read the full story in The Lane Report

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