INDIANAPOLIS – April 17, 2023 – This morning, Mayor Joe Hogsett, City-County Council President Vop Osili, EmployIndy, and community partners announced the launch of YES Indy’s new Re-Engagement Center (REC), located at Watkins Park. EmployIndy’s “Youth Employment System”, YES Indy, established the REC model to provide safe spaces where “Opportunity Youth” – residents ages 16-24 who have disconnected from education and/or employment – can participate in open gym basketball and get connected to career services. 

“The more accessible we can make post-secondary education and employment, the more people will choose that path,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “By addressing significant barriers to school and jobs, the new YES Indy REC at Watkins Park makes resuming your education or professional ambitions easier for residents of the northwest side.” 

In Central Indiana, there are an estimated 30,000 Opportunity Youth who are not engaged in education and or the workforce. Since the launch of the first YES Indy REC in 2018 at the Finish Line Boys & Girls Club, 2,476 young people have registered for open gym sessions, with 240 having been entered into the YES Indy system where they have received barrier-busting support (such as vouchers for child care, legal assistance, housing, or transportation), career services, and connection to education, training, and job opportunities. 

“In alignment with our strategic plan, YES Indy RECs are a tangible way EmployIndy seeks to promote equity and remove barriers to quality employment for underrepresented residents,” said Rev Rodney Francis, EmployIndy Chief Programs Officer. “As the importance of postsecondary training has grown, coaching and connection to career services have become even more vital to navigate options and persist through to completion.”

A major factor in the success of the REC model, and in particular the Watkins Park REC, is EmployIndy’s work to build collaborative partnerships with community organizations. Through a partnership with Indy Parks and Recreation, young people now have a space on the northwest side to get engaged and reconnect to education or the workforce through YES Indy. And through neighboring YES Indy provider Flanner House as well as service provider Training for Success LLC, career services and support are nearby to help them take that next step in their professional journey.  

“After having spent some time attending a university, and feeling it wasn’t a good fit, I found myself working several hourly jobs, with not much direction,” said Chance Blackwell, YES Indy Watkins Park REC participant. “Getting connected to Flanner House through the REC has been helpful as I look to pursue my EMT certification and use those skills to help others.”

Once engaged at the Watkins REC, young people also have the opportunity to enroll in the YES Indy Power Huddle, a two-week job readiness experience where they will learn to foster a growth mindset, as well as earn two Job Ready Indy badges: Mindsets and Social Skills. During the Power Huddle, participants reframe their view of their own future and are introduced to opportunities available through YES Indy, such as achieving their high school equivalency, working with a career coach, enrolling in training, and being connected to employment opportunities. Since 2018, 423 young people have participated in the Power Huddle program.

To make these collaborative efforts possible, EmployIndy has worked to combine funding from the City of Indianapolis and The Indianapolis Foundation (with supporting funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act), through the Elevation Grant Program. 

“By creating opportunities for youth to feel not only safe, but seen, trust is being built in spaces that systemically and historically have pushed them aside,” said Pamela Ross, Vice President of community leadership and equitable initiatives for The Indianapolis Foundation. “The result is youth who are more open, which allows the community to thrive.”

The YES Indy REC at Watkins Park will host open gym sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Residents interested in learning more about this REC location and available services are invited to attend a public open house on Saturday, April 22nd at 10:00 AM, that will feature a basketball tournament and the chance to connect with several local organizations, such as Indy Parks, that will have information on employment and training opportunities. For questions regarding the April 22nd open house, email Tawnya McCrary at trainingforsuccessllc1@nullgmail.com.

Youth and young adults can learn more about YES Indy services or connect to a YES Indy service provider at yesindy317.org.

On April 12, juniors and seniors at Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) had the opportunity to meet with local industry professionals, representing more than 40 companies in central Indiana, to learn about various employment pathways and career opportunities as they look toward graduation.   

The Indianapolis Public Schools and Junior Achievement CareerIgnite Employment and Entrepreneurship Fair, supported by EmployIndy, took place at Arsenal Tech High School yesterday. The event was designed to provide all IPS graduating seniors who have identified “Employment” as their post-secondary plan with a pathway to success. The fair is the culmination of weeks of school-based curriculum, provided by Junior Achievement and taught by IPS staff, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in today’s business world. Students will develop a resume, perfect their elevator pitch, and learn the required soft skills necessary for modern success.  

“Junior Achievement of Central Indiana is committed to providing equitable opportunities for all young people to own their future success,” states Jennifer Burk, President and CEO of Junior Achievement of Central Indiana. “We are proud to partner with IPS, EmployIndy and the business community to build students’ employability skills, connect them with business and industry professionals, and support these young people in their journey toward future success and self-sufficiency.” 

Prior to attending the employment and entrepreneurship fair, students participated in multiple activities in partnership with EmployIndy, including mock interviews and resume prep. They were also encouraged to research the participating companies. Students actively sought entry-level posistions, apprenticeships, and job opportunities that each company has to offer. Some companies hosted on-site interviews for students who were looking to get hired immediately.   

“EmployIndy works diligently to prepare students for success in the 21st-century economy by providing career exploration, engagement and experience opportunities within in-demand industries across Marion County,” says Betsy Revell, Vice President of Talent Solutions at EmployIndy. “Our organization is proud to support IPS and Junior Achievement with the CareerIgnite Employment and Entrepreneurship Fair as a way to expand postsecondary career options to seniors at IPS.”  

Melody Coryell, IPS Executive Director of Postsecondary Readiness, notes that “CareerIgnite provides the essential opportunity for our students to connect with options for their futures, allowing for a smoother transition towards a fulfilling career that will allow students to pursue their dreams.”  

Approximately 400 seniors from all IPS high school programs, including Arsenal Tech, Crispus Attucks, George Washington, Shortridge, KIPP Indy, and Simon Youth Academy, attended the fair.  

See below for a full list of participating companies: 

Accurate Personnel, Amazon, American Senior Communities, Automotive Apprenticeship Group, BYF-Indiana, CarDon and Associates, Crew Carwash, Crossroads of America Council, BSA – Exploring Career Program, Daystar Childcare and Infant Center, Early Learning Indiana, Ed Martin Automotive, EmployIndy: Talent Bound/ProjectIndy, Etica Group, Exploradoor, FAME: Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education, Fastenal Company, FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, Franklin Pest Solutions, Heritage Environmental Services, Howard Companies Asphalt Paving Company, IBEW 481, ICCA – Built to Succeed, IKORCC, Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, INDOT – Promoting Careers in Construction, Innovate Within, Ironworkers Union Local 22 JATC, LIFT Academy, LiUNA Local 120, MacAllister, Martin University, Metropolitan School District of Washington Township, Milestone Contractors, New Hope of Indiana, Peerless Pump, Pepper Construction, Peterman Brothers, Public Allies Indianapolis – Americorps, Seals Ambulance Service, Second Helpings, Serenity Care Services Personal Service Agency (PSA), Sheer Elegance Draperies, Blinds, and More LLC, STARTedUP Foundation, Stoops Freightliner, UPS, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Versiti Blood Center of Indiana, Won’t Stop Hospitality Inc, YMCA of Greater Indianapolis  

As an organization that values professional development and upskilling workers, EmployIndy recently sent six of its own to the National Association of Workforce Boards’ (NAWB) “The Forum” conference in Washington, D.C.  

According to the association’s website, it “represents and advocates for the nation's over 550 Workforce Development Boards,” of which EmployIndy is one of twelve across the state of Indiana. Workforce development boards are federally funded entities that are tasked with supporting employment pipelines across multiple industries. As a registered 501c3, EmployIndy adds a concerted focus and emphasis on making strategic investments to promote equity and remove barriers to quality employment for underserved and underrepresented residents. 

This year’s conference theme was “The Modern Workforce: Leading by Example. Led by Purpose” and featured sessions that ranged topically from engaging businesses, apprenticeship programs, Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) strategies, social services and mental health, digital skills, using data effectively, and workforce storytelling.  

“Any workforce development professional would benefit from attending NAWB,” said EmployIndy’s Development Director, Robin Kildall. “It gives its attendees a broad look at the way workforce boards are set up across the country.”  

Two of Kildall’s colleagues, Tracy Murphy (Director of Business Partnerships) and Kristen Barry (Senior Director of Research and Strategy), presented at a well-attended session on “Cultivating Seamless Pathways Through Community Collaboration and Advocacy.” The discussion outlined what such a pathway might look like: from industry demand to student voice and class offerings with an eye toward career pathways and combined with wrap-around support services and a conducive policy environment.  

The presentation offered an opportunity for the EmployIndy duo to talk about Talent Bound, an EmployIndy led program that connects Indy youth and young adults to companies and industries with talent needs for career education and work-based learning opportunities.  

Murphy and Barry also emphasized EmployIndy’s recent role in putting together the Accelerate Ed “Blueprint for Cybersecurity” pilot. The program includes voices and players from government, the private sector, local nonprofits, and educational institutions all vying to produce the win-win of creating opportunity for under-represented youth to fill legitimate talent gaps in tech.  

One EmployIndy partner in particular, TechPoint, has been bringing attention to this challenge with its ongoing Mission41K initiative, which encourages skills-based hiring as a method for diversifying tech workplaces and growing the Indiana tech workforce as a whole.   

Problem-solving at this magnitude and level of collaboration is what workforce development is all about. If you would like to learn more about an EmployIndy led program or initiative, or you’re interested in collaborating with EmployIndy in the workforce development space, reach out to our Business Partnerships team at businesspartnerships@nullemployindy.org or visit https://employindy.org/business-partnerships to learn more.