Lexington Kentucky Trade Schools, Colleges

 

Lexington is the second largest city in the state of Kentucky, and is the 61st largest city in the United States. Affectionately known as the “Horse Capital of the World”, Lexington KY has several industries and colleges supplying this industry with its workforce. The population of Lexington, as of 2015, is a little over 700,000 people. With this many people, along with numerous schools in the area, there are several people who travel to Lexington to gain fulfilling employment, starting a career that will last a lifetime.

Things to Do in Lexington Kentucky
When most people think of Kentucky, they may think of the beautiful horses that are found in this state, along with the numerous horse related businesses in the area. However, Lexington is home to more than just horses. There are tons of things to do in the area, which is just another reason why so many people are eager to start studying in the area, and ultimately living here. Just a few of the things to do in the city:

- Shopping: Fayette Mall, major shopping outlets like Meijer, Walmart and the like, along with several boutique stores are all found in the area.
- See a game or two! This is home to Rupp Arena, one of the largest arenas in the area, and it also hosts various concerts throughout the year.
- Keeneland is a must visit at least once while in the city for the Kentucky tradition of horse racing.
- Kentucky Horse Park is a state park that can be visited to learn about the horse culture in the area.
- Numerous historical sites like Ashland: The Henry Clay Estate and the Mary Todd Lincoln House.
- The Aviation Museum of Kentucky.
- Numerous breweries in the area are open, awaiting tourists to come through and check out this Kentucky legacy.

For those who live in the area, they rarely venture out, as Lexington has everything that they could want when it comes to entertainment and work. One aspect that you will find is true in Lexington is the term Big Blue Nation. Lexington is home to the UK Wildcats, and the fans are just as great as the team seems to do in a variety of sports. Be prepared for “Big Blue Fever” with just about any collegiate sporting event that takes place.

Start Your Career Training in Lexington

Why do people go to Lexington KY to get their career training? There are several reasons. With all that the area has to offer a person, an abundance of housing available, and numerous businesses ready to hire those who graduate from the area, for many going to school here is a perfect choice. Most people love the area once they finish their school or career training here and decide to stay. As the local businesses are eager to hire those who go to school in the area, thus helping you to find a career that you can rely on, and progress for several years in.

For those who are interested to feel as though they are living in a small town with friendly people, but have the accommodations and extras that are seen with bigger cities, then Lexington is a great choice. What makes this area even more exciting is the fact that there is a diverse number of careers that can be found here. There are also several careers that are considered Lexington careers for those who want to make an impression and top their market. For example, those who want to work with horses will find that there are several areas in and around Lexington that cater to this area.

Popular Career Niches in Lexington

There are over 38,000 companies and businesses that call Lexington, KY home. Around 33,132 businesses in the area employ fewer than 10 employees. In addition, around 12,558 businesses are employing between 10 to 50 employees. While, 2,838 businesses employ 50 to 250 people. There are also 27 businesses that employ more than 250 people. The chances of landing a career in the area is extremely high thanks to the number of companies that call this area home. There are several careers that are seen more frequently in Lexington KY as well. The top-rated careers include: Nursing, Teaching at the college level, elementary teaching, social workers, prison officials, drivers, management, retail, sales, engineers, transportation, production, construction, and healthcare support professionals.

There is an estimated 2,150,864 people employed within Kentucky, and around 45% to 50% of these people are employed within Lexington. Many of these people live in the city. However, almost double of these employees are traveling to Lexington from other cities, as the pay rate and jobs are found here. Of these employees in Kentucky, this is how they break down in the job industries:

- 302,905 are employed in the Office and Administrative sector
- 205,361 work in sales and related occupations
- 192,031 work in production occupations
- 181,997 work in food preparation and serving related occupations
- 171,723 work in transportation and material moving
- 140,200 work in healthcare
- 137,455 work in management occupations
- 113,017 work in education, training and library occupations
- 98,753 work in installation, maintenance and repair occupations
- 90,153 work in construction and extraction occupations
- 84,112 work in business and financial operations occupations
- 74,996 work in personal care and service occupations
- 65,815 are involved in building and grounds cleaning/maintenance
- 55,562 are involved in healthcare support occupations
- 37,950 of employees are involved in community and social services jobs
- 37,766 are involved in computer and mathematical occupations
- 33,140 are employed in architecture and engineering occupations
- 29,611 are involved in arts, design, entertainment, sports and media occupations
- 23,953 are involved in farming, fishing and forestry types of jobs
- 17,530 work in life, physical, and social science occupations
- 14,964 work in legal occupations

This showcases just how much of a variety is found within Lexington when it comes to the careers that are available for those who are looking to enhance their career training, or who are looking to stay in the area to work. And the city estimates that many of these areas are going to increase in the number of people needed in the next eight years.

Key Industries in Lexington

Lexington, Kentucky area is home to several industries, many of which are seen working in the downtown area. These major industries include:
- Office and Administrative Support
- Production
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Sales and Related
- Food Preparation and Serving Related
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Education, Training and Library
- Management
- Computer and Mathematical
- Business and Financial Operations
- Community and Social Service

Office and Administrative Support
Throughout Lexington, almost all the businesses are requiring some type of office and administrative support. With Lexmark being located here, they are one of the biggest suppliers of these types of jobs. And these jobs are expected to increase as more businesses are turning towards Lexington to house their business. By 2024, it is estimated that these jobs will make up 13.7% of total employment in Lexington.

Production
Production/manufacturing is the hub of most cities who are in need of products. There are several unique production factories located in Lexington that supplies Kentucky and other areas of the United States with products. These are well paying jobs that are always looking for new people, as prior employees reach the age of retirement. Production careers will make up an estimated 8.5% of jobs by 2024 according to KYLMI.

Transportation and Material Moving
Lexington is already a metropolitan area, and it continues to grow on a monthly basis. The public transportation service is expected to rapidly grow in the next ten or so years as the public bus starts to include more routes and expanding current ones. In addition, taxi drivers are expected to be seen more and more in Lexington as the need for these professionals arise. The KYLMI states that this occupation will make up around 8% of total employment within the city.

Sales and Related
Due to the high population that is in the area, there are several businesses dedicated to offering goods and services for consumers. This is only going to increase as more homes are being built in the area to accommodate new residents. These new residents will start doing their shopping in the area, resulting in the need for more businesses offering what is needed, along with ensuring that the demand can be met by these stores. The Fayette Mall is one of the largest sales stores in the Lexington area, as the mall is one of the biggest that can be found in the state of Kentucky. This industry is estimated to make up around 9% of total jobs in the city.

Food Preparation and Serving Related
This is yet another high rated industry that can be seen in action whenever driving anywhere in and around Lexington. New restaurants, caterers and the like are popping up daily throughout the area to meet the need of residents who live in the area. This will only continue as the city continues to grow and thrive in the economy. It is estimated that by 2024, this industry will make up 8% of the total jobs within Lexington.

Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Some of the best healthcare throughout the state can be found in Lexington. And the city has the facilities that showcase just why many people will travel to Lexington to receive their healthcare. There is the UK Medical Center and Hospital, Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Center, St. Joseph Hospital, along with numerous private practice doctors and offices. All healthcare professionals are expected to make up around 15% or more of the total jobs within the Lexington area.

Education, Training and Library
With the number of public schools, colleges, trade schools and private schools in the area, the education, training and library industry is one that is going to continue to thrive in the Lexington area. It is estimated that by 2024, the industry is going to make up around 5.4% of the jobs in the city. These jobs will become more in demand as time goes on and the population of the Lexington area continues to grow.

Management
Management occupations include those positions that overlook businesses in the area, manage day to day activities for companies and the like. These are much needed positions as they keep the day to day running’s within a company running properly. This industry is expected to hold 6.4% of the jobs by 2024.

Computer and Mathematical
This industry is one that continues to grow across almost every major city out there. These individuals can work inside of various businesses. Throughout Lexington, many of these professionals can be found in the healthcare sector. This is a very distinct industry in the Lexington area, thus, it estimated to hold around 1.9% of the jobs available come 2024.

Business and Financial Operations
These occupations range from business owners, accountants to those managers who may also be included with accounting activity. This is a large industry in terms of what types of employments can be found and the like. According to the statistics of KYLMI, it is believed that these occupations will make up 3.9% of jobs in the Lexington area by 2024.

Community and Social Services
Social services such as counselors and social workers, along with community services is an assortment of job titles. These individuals may include government officials who work with the community, social workers who may be at schools and so forth. The KYLMI has this occupation at a 1.9% rate come 2024.

Construction and Extraction Occupations
Within Lexington, KY there are several construction firms and businesses that are put to work every day. In fact, if a person were to be in Lexington today they would see numerous construction projects taking place to build new residencies and business buildings. It is estimated that by 2024, this industry will account for 4.2% of the jobs that are available in Lexington. In fact, the number of employees on these jobs is expected to increase by around 30,000 to this year.

Farming, Fishing and Forestry Occupations
While Lexington was once a dominant area for these professions, as it grows, these professions are going to other areas throughout Kentucky. However, that does not mean that there will not be a need for these professionals in the Lexington area. In fact, in the next ten years these jobs are estimated to grow by around 3,000 employees, allowing this industry to account for 1.1% of the job market.

Legal
There are several law firms throughout Lexington that will continue to be a part of the scene for those who are interested in this career field. As of 2014, around 14,964 jobs in the Lexington area were legal in some manner. It is estimated that by 2024 there will be an addition 2,000 employees in this industry, giving the industry a .7% of the jobs in the city.

Protective Services Occupations
These are those individuals who wish to train for a career in protective services such as firefighters, police officers, EMT’s and even security guards. There is always a need for these individuals in a metro city like Lexington. As of 2014, there were 41,870 professionals in this field. It is estimated that by 2024, there will be 48,011, allowing this industry to hold around 1.9% of all employment.

 

Colleges and Trade Schools in Lexington, KY

There are several schools within the Lexington, Kentucky area. These range from public and private universities, community colleges, technology schools and trade schools. Some of the more popular options include:

University of Kentucky
This university is a public four-year university that must be mentioned when talking about Lexington, KY. This is home to the UK Wildcats, a well-known team for anyone that follows SEC sports. The school has 16 colleges and professional’s schools on campus, along with over 200 academic programs. The school has a 66.8% overall graduation rate.

Transylvania University
This university offers 40 majors and manors. The school is in the top 10 liberal arts colleges throughout the United States. The school is considered a private university. They do boast a 71% graduation rate. An interesting fact the school also claims about their students: 95% are employed or in graduate school within 6 months of graduating.

Bluegrass Community and Technical College
Bluegrass Community and Technical College, often referred to as BCTC in the area, is a two-year community and technical college. The college offers 50 majors to choose from. The graduation rate of the school is relatively low at 24%. However, many students start here to complete basic studies, then go on to other colleges or trade schools in the area.

Spencerian College
This is a technical college that focuses on the very demanding healthcare field. These programs can be one year or more, as the school caters to not only high school graduates, but to those who are looking to make a career change while they are adults. They do often help graduates find employment in the area if this is needed. However, with the healthcare field being so demanding, often jobs are easy to find and secure in the Lexington area.

Employers in Lexington, KY
There are several industries that call Lexington home, and they are careers in which are expect to grow as the year’s pass. One of the most successful careers in the area are those jobs in the medical field. This is to do with the numerous career training options for those who are interested in healthcare in the area. In addition, there are numerous public, private and even veteran hospitals/doctors and the like in the area requiring nurses, doctors and other personnel.

The cities top employers are the University of Kentucky, Fayette County Public Schools, Xerox, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Lockheed Martin, Lexmark International Inc, Baptist Healthcare System In, St. Joseph Hospital, Walmart, Kroger, Veterans Medical Center, Lexington Clinic, Amazon.com and Trane Lexington. Other notable employers include Federal Bureau of Prisons, IBM Global Services, UPS, and Kentucky Department of Highways.

Of these top employers, a 2016 study found:
- University of Kentucky employs 10,000 to 14,000 people
- Fayette County Public Schools employ 5,000 to 9,999 people
- Lexmark employs 1,000 to 4,999 people

It is interesting to note that Valvoline and Lexmark have their headquarters located in the city, which makes these two businesses dominant in the career market.

University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, located in the heart of Lexington, employs several types of people. Not only are they employing professors and teacher aides. They have a full staff of maintenance individuals on staff, as well as security officials. Depending upon which field a person goes into will determine the salary earned while working here.

Fayette County Public Schools
This school district features 36 elementary schools, 12 middle schools, 5 high school and 3 technical centers, all of which require teachers, as well as drivers for the public-school buses that run throughout the district. On average, those teachers who begin work here make $42,000 per year. While teaching encompasses a large portion of how many people work here, there are also around 2,600 administrative positions that are used throughout the school system.

Lexmark
For technology careers in the Lexington KY area, Lexmark is one of the leading businesses for offering full time positions. They also offer several internships to those students in the area looking to get involved in the career path even faster and with much more success. Overall, for those who wish to make Lexington, KY their choice for continuing their education or perhaps making a career change are going to find that the area has more than enough schools to choose from. And through completing your education here, you may find the dream career awaiting you in Lexington.

Resources:
https://www.lexingtonky.gov
http://www.ckec.org
http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/education/