While the record unemployment numbers seen during the COVID-19 global health crisis are in the rearview mirror, there are still hindrances for residents in Marion County when seeking out employment, including connecting with hiring employers and finding the personalized support needed to take advantage of new employment opportunities.  

EmployIndy is excited to announce that our Talent Connection team has connected over 500 individuals in Marion County to good and promising jobs through Rapid Re-Employment Response, an effort coordinated in late 2020 by the Regional Workforce Partnership (RWP) to assist the residents of Indianapolis in getting back to work as quickly and safely as possible.    

Utilizing the Ascend Network, an online technology platform from Ascend Indiana, Rapid Re-Employment Response pairs job seekers with a skilled recruiter who, through personalized support, works to connect them to career opportunities and resources based on their interests and skills.  

“The success of our Talent Connection services, and Rapid Re-Employment Response, has been greatly bolstered by the work from our recruitment managers,” said Tiffani McLaurin, Director, Talent Network. “The human element that's provided to job seekers is crucial in helping them have the confidence and perseverance needed as they seek out new opportunities.” 

So far in 2023, Rapid Re-Employment Response has connected 133 individuals to jobs in Marion County. Additionally, expanded outreach and marketing strategies have led to a 282% increase in monthly active users compared to active users seen in 2022.   

As the workforce development board for Marion County and an intermediary, EmployIndy serves both workers seeking employment and businesses seeking talent. Individualized connection services, like Rapid Re-Employment Response, create efficiencies in the job-placement process, helping ensure the best fit for both parties.  

In program year 2022, EmployIndy helped placed a total of over 2,100 individuals in good and promising jobs as a result of direct intervention. Through our Wednesdays @ WorkOne weekly hiring events that take place at our full-service location on the city’s Eastside, 1,084 individuals were connected to hiring employers where they went on to obtain employment. And through our Youth Employment System, YES Indy, 383 youth, ages 16-24, were placed in jobs after completing various industry trainings or work experiences. These larger talent connection efforts help serve both workers seeking employment and businesses seeking talent, resulting in a streamlined job-placement process that lands more Marion County workers in good and promising jobs. 

Job seekers looking to find personalized support for their employment search are encouraged to learn more and get started today at www.eimultisite.wpenginepowered.com/rapidreemploymentresponse. 

A recent article by Whitney Downard in the Indianapolis Business Journal pointed out some disturbing trends for Indiana workers. Downard’s analysis was in response to U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics showing that Indiana workers make about 83% of the national wage average, and that 91 of 92 Indiana counties fall under the national wage of just over $70,000 a year.  

Marion County was the one Indiana county that came in slightly above the national wage average, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t still room for improvement. During a recent lunch-and-learn session in June hosted by EmployIndy’s Business Partnerships team, twenty-five businesses joined Lora Steele, Director of Business Consulting, and Joslyn Cunningham, Senior Manager of Business Consulting, for a discussion about the Choice Employers program and specifically, the Good Wages Initiative (GWI). Representatives from Second Helpings, Barrett & Stokely, Franciscan Health, Visit Indy, Eleven Fifty Academy, and State Farm Insurance were among those who attended the session to learn more. 

Started in 2022, the Good Wages Initiative is a network of more than 80 Marion County employers that pay their full-time employees a wage of at least $18 an hour and provide access to health insurance benefits. That current wage floor comes from a 2018 Brookings Institution report, Advancing opportunity in Central Indiana. In addition to the full GWI certification process (for which businesses can find an application here), there is also a “committed” path for businesses that are close to meeting program qualifications and need assistance in crossing that threshold.  

After a wage increase for their employees, Newfields recently became the first organization to move from “committed” to fully-certified within the program, adding to the growing list of Marion County employers who have joined the initiative. Representing roughly 18 industries and nearly 25,000 workers, GWI employers have already committed to increasing worker wages by over $5.1M. 

EmployIndy’s lunch-and-learn series will continue Friday, September 29th with a session focused on justice-involved hiring, aimed at providing insight regarding the training available to those leaving incarceration, the crucial role that wrap around services provide, and how to navigate the challenges of talent acquisition with this population. You can register for this upcoming session here. 

To stay informed of upcoming lunch-and-learn events, or other ways to connect with EmployIndy’s Business Partnerships team, subscribe to their quarterly newsletter here or visit www.eimultisite.wpenginepowered.com/business-partnerships.