INDIANAPOLIS – 26 July 2023 – EmployIndy, Marion County’s Workforce Development Board, is thrilled to announce that Ken Clark has accepted the position of executive vice president, finance and operations where he will lead all aspects of the organization's financial, administrative, operational and human resources strategy, systems and protocols. In this role, his leadership will drive the organization towards operational excellence in service of EmployIndy's strategic goals and efforts to serve underrepresented residents with transformational workforce development services that advance economic mobility.
“With Ken’s track record of optimizing financial performance, building high-performing teams and driving operational efficiencies, we’re excited to have him join the team and contribute to our important mission and vision,” said Marie Mackintosh, president and CEO of EmployIndy. Ken comes to EmployIndy from the City of Indianapolis & Marion County, where he spent over 3 years as the city controller and director of the office of finance and management. Ken has tremendous experience leading IT operations and finance in his previous roles, most notably chief information officer and chief financial officer at the Information Services Agency (ISA), including running IT strategy and operations that support the city’s departments as well as leading the restructure of the IT expense and revenue models. Ken’s work at the ISA earned the city and himself the Mira Award for Corporate Innovator of the Year and the IBJ’s CTO of the Year award in 2018.
“I am excited to continue supporting the City of Indianapolis in this new role with EmployIndy. Witnessing EmployIndy grow their services and support our community through the economic turmoil of the pandemic and subsequent recovery has inspired me,” said Clark. “I look forward to furthering their vision of preparing Marion County residents for the workforce to secure livable wages and grow in careers while meeting employer demand for talent.”
Clark joins the organization shortly after the announcement of its 2023-2025 Strategic Plan, grounded in four primary interventions: Career-Connected Learning, Coaching and Training, Talent Connection, and Job Quality. This plan will serve as the guiding commitment to Marion County while EmployIndy continues to be responsive to the evolving education, training, and career needs of the ecosystem as its workforce leader and intermediary.
INDIANAPOLIS – EmployIndy, Marion County’s Workforce Development Board and local workforce intermediary, is excited to announce its acceptance into the U.S. Department of Labor’s first ever cohort of the Job Quality Academy. The Job Quality Academy, designed and operated in partnership with Jobs For the Future (JFF), will provide EmployIndy the opportunity to build a greater understanding of job quality principles, how to incorporate them into their policies and programs, and develop methods and tools for assessing progress.
Good jobs are the foundation of an equitable economy that lifts workers and families and makes businesses more competitive, but many Americans lack work that provides them with decent pay, benefits, safety, or hours that allow them to take care of both their work and home responsibilities. These problems are even more pronounced for workers from historically marginalized communities and in certain industries, such as hospitality and the care economy.
The U.S. Departments of Labor and Commerce identified principles of a good job, which include equitable recruitment and hiring; benefits; diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA); empowerment and representation; job security and working conditions; organizational culture; pay; and skills and career advancement. A good job is one that helps workers achieve economic stability and mobility, while prioritizing diversity and worker voice.
“We know the Job Quality Academy will add even more momentum to our efforts around good jobs, that we’ve outlined in our recently launched three-year strategic plan as well as the implementation of our Choice Employers initiative,” said Marie Mackintosh, president and CEO of EmployIndy. “Marion County businesses will be competitive and thrive when they invest in job quality and wage equity practices, leading to an increase in the number of good jobs in our regional economy and more prosperous workers.”
As expectations on employers to offer quality jobs in Central Indiana are rising, EmployIndy has recently launched its Choice Employers initiative to help Marion County organizations find the right combination of actions to reduce turnover, offer a strong company culture, and be considered an ideal place to work. Through the Good Wages Initiative, a pillar of Choice Employers, EmployIndy has already certified over 70 local employers, representing 18 industries and nearly 25,000 workers, who have committed to increasing worker wages by $5.1M.
With the additional three pillars of the Choice Employer initiative including Culture and Diversity, Employee Supports, and Career Pathways, EmployIndy will utilize the learnings and best practices from the Job Quality Academy to strengthen and increase its impact locally.
Launched in Spring 2023 and set to span roughly 6 months, including two 3-day in-person summits in Washington, DC, the Job Quality Academy comprises up to 16 teams, including workforce boards, state workforce boards, state workforce agencies, and tribal organizations, representing communities across the nation. To maximize learning, EmployIndy has invited representatives from three local employer partners, B&W Plumbing and Heating, IEC-Indy, and UA Local 440, to join them for the duration of the academy. With construction industry roles in high-demand, EmployIndy’s Job Quality Academy team chose these partners in order to produce a template that is replicable throughout all industries.
To learn more about the Job Quality Academy, visit www.jff.org/job-quality-academy. To learn more about becoming a Choice Employer in Marion County, visit www.employindy.org/choice-employers or contact Lora Steele at lsteele@nullemployindy.org.
Marion County youths now have a choice when it comes to skills training. EmployIndy is launching a YouthBuild AmeriCorps Construction and Advance Manufacturing industries training and job placement opportunity for young adults ages 18 – 24.
YouthBuild Indy, in partnership with YouthBuild USA, AmeriCorps, Marian University, Martindale Brightwood Community Development Corporation, Training for Success LLC, and Turner Built Indianapolis, will be offering this 18-week training for those Marion County residents ages 18-24 who are looking to get construction training or earn their HSE/GED while being paid.
The Construction industry in Marion County is projected to continue growing over the next five years, adding nearly 700 positions to the already great need due to the replacement and retirement of existing workers.
Participants can earn up to $6,780 as well as their high school diploma or equivalency. Students will also earn an NCCER construction certification and may qualify for a $1,300 AmeriCorps education award, work experience and job placement.
The Construction training program will take place from March 20th through July 21st, 2023. Classes meet every Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 2 PM. An information session will be held on March 1st at 37 Place Community Center, located at 2605 E 25th Street Indianapolis, IN 46218.
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Additionally, EmloyIndy’s YES Indy in partnership with Public Advocate in Community re-Entry (PACE), Training For Success, Marian University, Conexus Catapult and Ivy Tech Community College is sponsoring a 13-week Advanced Manufacturing training course, beginning on March 6th. Participants can earn up to $5,930 and a Catapult Advanced Manufacturing Standardized Work Training Certificate; they will also gain 6 Ivy Tech Community College credit hours, work experience and job placement.
The training requires a High School Diploma, GED, or High School Equivalency. Participants must be 18 – 24 years old, have six months or more of stable work history, access to transportation and want to pursue a manufacturing career. Advanced Manufacturing training starts with an orientation on March 1st and training will be held March 6th through June 2nd, classes meet every Monday through Friday at various times and locations. Limited spots are available for this training.
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The registration deadline for both training courses is February 24th. Reentry and justice-involved are welcome to apply.
