Fellow – Postsecondary Education Coordinator, Workforce & Economic Development

Commonwealth of Kentucky; Frankfort (KY); Hybrid; USD 34,000 - 39,000; Part time

Job summary

Commonwealth of Kentucky is seeking a Fellow – Postsecondary Education Coordinator to advance prison education initiatives within Kentucky. This position focuses on coordinating with colleges and universities to support Prison Education Programs (PEPs) and producing related events and policy analysis.

The Fellow will research and present on higher education policy, practice, workforce, and prison education trends, collaborating across units and with national stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or master’s with relevant experience in postsecondary education or policy-related fields.
• Experience with policy development and understanding of higher education systems.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and data handling.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a liaison between Kentucky colleges and the Kentucky Department of Corrections.
• Develop and maintain workforce and postsecondary data related to prison education.
• Prepare reports and policy recommendations to guide prison education programs.

Skills

Policy development

Interpersonal skills

Project design

Detail orientation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Fellow – Postsecondary Education Coordinator, Workforce & Economic Development

Position: Part-time, Interim
Location: Frankfort, Kentucky; limited telecommuting
Term: November 1, 2026 – July 30, 2027
Time Commitment: Up to 20 hours per week
Travel: Occasional in-state travel
Compensation: $25 - $28 depending on qualifications and experience
Priority Deadline: October 19, 2026

Overview

The Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) is Kentucky’s coordinating body for postsecondaryeducation and is committed to strengthening the commonwealth’s workforce, economy,and quality of life through ongoing improvement and efficient operation of a high-qualitysystem of higher education. The Workforce and Economic Development Unit aligns highereducation goals with economic development and workforce talent needs to support thegrowth of Kentucky’s students, communities, employers, and economy.

Function of the Position

This position will play a critical role in executing the mission and vision of theinitiatives housed within the Workforce and Economic Development Unit with particularfocus on working with colleges and universities to support their engagement with PrisonEducation Programs (PEPs). The Fellow will also be responsible for creating and hostingevents related to Prison Education in Kentucky, researching and presenting on highereducation policy, practice, workforce and economic development, and prison educationtrends regionally and nationally.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as a liaison between Kentucky colleges and universities and the Kentucky Departmentof Corrections
• Engage and maintain partnerships with key stakeholders, other state agencies, andpostsecondary institutions to increase a sustainable prison education ecosystem inKentucky
• Provide technical assistance for the administrators, faculty, and staff at Kentuckycolleges and universities to support their work in the prison education space
• Develop and maintain workforce and postsecondary data related to prison education
• Develop and implement a prison education awareness campaign
• Collaborate with the Justice-Impacted Student Coordinator and other CPE units
• Prepare reports and policy recommendations that guide future work in KY’s prison educationprograms (PEPs) and share out this work on a national stage

Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

Individuals with justice impacted backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

Required

• Knowledge of state postsecondary and policy development process
• Knowledge of issues related to incarceration and barriers impacting justice-impactedindividuals.
• Bachelor’s degree and two to three years of relevant experience at a postsecondaryinstitution or with an education or justice-related organization OR a master’s degreeor above in public policy, education policy, social sciences, humanities or relatedfield. An equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• Ability to design, execute, and evaluate short- and long-term projects related topostsecondary, workforce and economic development, and prison ecosystems
• Strong attention to detail
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Preferred

• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Ability to build innovative and sustainable systems
• Demonstrated willingness to learn

Application Process

The position will remain open until filled. Review of applications will begin afterthe priority deadline.