LEXINGTON, Ky. — A new center in Lexington aims to help people looking to work become more employable. Monday, the city officially opened the Davis Park Workforce Center located at 501 DeRoode Street near downtown.


What You Need To Know

  • Lexington opened a workforce development center on Monday 

  • The center has rooms for job fairs, staff to work on interviewing skills and resume building and computers to job search and do online interviews 

  • Davis Park Station also has 73 affordable rental units with one, two and three bedroom options 

  • Apartments are leasing now and the workforce development center is open for all aged jobseekers

Leaders gathered in Lexington to cut the ribbon on the space. It’s aimed at preparing jobseekers for the workforce. Lexington director of business engagement, Amy Glasscock said it offers crucial services to the city’s economy.

“The number one question we get from businesses when they come to look at Lexington for a possible location is ‘Do you have the workforce to meet our needs,” Glasscock said.

Glasscock said the center is open now. It’s staffed with people to assist in resume writing, interview skills and will host various workshops, among other things.

“They can complete their resume online or they can do job searching. If they have an online interview and they just need access to a computer to be able to do an online interview, we will give them access to an office to be able to sit down and do that interview as well,” Glasscock said.

Davis Park not only addresses workforce development; it’s a one-two punch. They also address affordable housing with over 70 units here on-site with one, two and three-bedroom options available.

“Both housing and job stability are kind of the base of Maslow’s Pyramid; without affordable housing you can’t improve your life, you can’t have stability and part of stability is employment options that increase your income,” said Johan Graham, president of AU Associates.

Graham said it initially started with 14 units. As they looked to add more, the city pushed to include the workforce development component. He said it’s just another utility to an area which has undergone growth and development.

“This is a very centralized area for both transportation, public transportation and for car traffic, located near downtown, but with easy parking,” Graham said.

Graham says it’s once qualified, always qualified living.

“Once they have housing here and are income eligible to live in the housing, there is nothing that prohibits from retraining, finding a better job, becoming a manager at their current company; they don’t lose their housing assistance or their affordability eligibility by taking a better career path,” Graham said.

For Glasscock, it’s all about serving people, including those in recovery and reentry programs.

“There are opportunities, there are people who really want to help you,” Glasscock said.

Apartments at Davis Park Station are leasing now.

The workforce center also has space for job fairs, resource events and career coaching.