By Jamie Johnson, Building Kentucky

Yesterday, January 29, 2025, Kentucky State Senator Shelley Funke Frommeyer and Representative Mike Clines joined Alicia Sells, Chief Executive Officer, We Lead CS and Brent Cooper, President and CEO, Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce to announce the Northern Kentucky Chamber’s acceptance of a Take the Lead grant from We Lead CS to develop the region’s tech-industry talent pipeline.
We Lead CS’ virtual career academy expands students’ access to computer science education (especially in rural communities) and bolsters Kentucky’s competitive edge in the technology industry. More than just computer science courses, We Lead CS provides all students with mentorship through a College and Career Coach who provides personalized guidance.
“We Lead CS is a program like no other. We teach computer science to students across Kentucky; however, the program is more than just teaching classes, we provide all students with career coaching, mentorship and more to ready them for the workforce,” said Alicia Sells, Chief Executive Officer, We Lead CS. “To ensure our students are ready to meet the needs of employers, we provide grants to the Northern Kentucky Chamber and others across the state to help us understand what local employers need in their talent pipeline.”
To prepare Kentucky’s future technology workforce for their future careers, We Lead CS is working to better understand Kentucky’s needs for the tech industry, both present and future. To glean this understanding, We Lead CS is investing in local chambers of commerce, like the Northern Kentucky Chamber, to research and provide insights that will benefit Kentucky’s students and the workforce. The Northern Kentucky Chamber is the first in the state to receive a Take the Lead grant.
“As talent remains the top priority and challenge for employers in Northern Kentucky and across the state, initiatives like We Lead CS are essential to our region’s growth and competitiveness,” said Brent Cooper, President and CEO of the Northern Kentucky Chamber. “Technology touches every industry, and by building a strong tech talent pipeline, we not only prepare students for high-demand careers but also attract businesses and innovation to our region. We encourage employers to engage with We Lead CS through mentorships, internships and virtual job shadow opportunities. Together, we can ensure students are equipped with the skills needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving economy.”
There are approximately 3,400 open technology-related positions in Kentucky at any given time that pay on average $80,000 and provide great opportunities for students as they prepare to enter the workforce.
Through partnerships with groups like the INTERalliance of Greater Cincinnati and chambers like the Northern Kentucky Chamber, We Lead CS is working to get students in front of employers to learn about career paths in the industry and begin forging connections. Businesses can lead the talented up-and-coming workforce through mentorship, job shadowing, mock interviews, internships and more; to get involved as an employer, visit weleadcs.org.
We Lead CS is a national model that has cracked the code to offer 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. Equally as important, graduates will still attend and be awarded diplomas from their local high school. We Lead CS has been implemented in schools across the Commonwealth and school districts are encouraged to contact the organization for more information on how to implement the We Lead CS program in their schools. Students enjoy the opportunity to learn more coding, video game design, programming, computer-aided design, engineering and more while finding their career path and succeeding through We Lead CS.