INDIANAPOLIS – 13 November 2023 – Today, Mayor Joe Hogsett recognized the third annual “Apprenticeship Week” in Indianapolis. This week-long celebration, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), will be celebrated by stakeholders who strive to promote both Registered and Youth Apprenticeships throughout Marion County.

“The City of Indianapolis and EmployIndy want to foster as many pathways as possible to the career, wage, and life that residents want,” said Mayor Hogsett. “Through apprenticeship programs, prospective employees can gain access to good-paying jobs, and industries can gain access to a motivated, local workforce.”

Apprenticeships are an industry-driven, high-quality career pathway where employers can develop and prepare their future workforce, and individuals can obtain paid work experience, classroom instruction, and a portable, nationally recognized credential. Youth Apprenticeships, in particular, provide young people with a model of success for introducing our future workforce to expanded career pathways.

High school students who complete the Modern Apprenticeship program, a 3-year youth apprenticeship program launched by EmployIndy and Ascend Indiana in 2020, can participate in hands-on work experience that complements their traditional coursework, in growing fields such as business, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and information technology (IT). Afterward, they can pursue a college degree or enter directly into the workforce. Youth apprenticeships offer young people the rare opportunity to get paid to learn while multiplying their options after high school.

EmployIndy is also celebrating our commitment to strengthening and diversifying Registered Apprenticeship programs during this year’s National Apprenticeship Week. As one of more than 200 industry, labor, and community-based organizations– as well as educators, employers, and workforce intermediaries– among the inaugural cohort of the Biden-Harris administration’s Apprenticeship Ambassador Initiative, EmployIndy will continue leveraging this designation and additional funding to scale innovative apprenticeship practices in Marion County and Central Indiana.

“EmployIndy is committed to the growth of apprenticeships in our region as a way to help strengthen our local economy, build pipelines to good quality jobs, and advance racial and gender equity,” said Marie Mackintosh, EmployIndy president and CEO. “Through our existing initiatives like Modern Apprenticeship, and future initiatives like the Regional Apprenticeship Hub, we’ll continue to make advancements in removing barriers to quality employment for underserved and underrepresented residents.”

As the workforce intermediary guiding apprenticeship expansion in non-traditional occupations in Marion County and the greater Indianapolis Region, EmployIndy is uniquely positioned to help local employers build, launch and scale their apprenticeship programs. To expand on this work, EmployIndy is partnering with AIR to launch the Regional Apprenticeship Hub. This hub will convene and coordinate the apprenticeship efforts of partners in the region, enabling an effective and collaborative apprenticeship ecosystem.

As employer demand for highly skilled talent continues to grow, establishing a system of career-connected learning that will create equitable opportunities for all Indianapolis students has become a necessity. This week, we celebrate the recent growth and impact of apprenticeships in Marion County while looking forward to the progress ahead.

On Tuesday, October 3, 2023, EmployIndy had the privilege of joining the Metropolitan School District (MSD) of Warren Township and Ford Next Generation Learning (NGL) for Envision Day, an event bringing together key stakeholders to help shape the future success of students and workforce in the eastside school district.

Students, teachers, district leaders, parents, and community partners gathered at Indianapolis Marriot East to participate in a full day of discussion and planning activities aimed at creating the district’s next strategic plan, with an intentional PK-12 college and career readiness framework. Focused on the journey of a graduate and using a community-connected approach, the career readiness framework will allow students to explore industries as well as engage in and experience the career pathways available to them.   

As the convening organization, EmployIndy will support Warren’s implementation and transformation into this community-based initiative that aims to ensure that all Warren students are prepared for either enrollment, enlistment, or employment after high school.  “We’re excited to play a big role in this partnership by ensuring Warren Township schools have the tools and resources they need to reimagine career-connected learning in their district,” said Erika Cheney, Vice President of Career-Connected Learning for EmployIndy, a speaker at the event. “Through our Talent Bound program, we’ll provide meaningful experiences and opportunities for students through our employer connections and work with industry leaders.” 

In partnership with Central Indiana Education Service Center (CIESC), Warren Township and six other Indiana school districts were awarded an Explore, Engage, and Experience (3E) Grant from the Indiana Department of Education to partner with Ford NGL to implement locally driven, strategic career pathways for their students. Each Ford NGL community has a dedicated Ford NGL Coach, who supports and guides communities as they develop and implement a Ford NGL Master Plan to scale and sustain a career academy network and prepare students for high-skill, high-wage careers. 

“As we consider the Next Generation of Learners (NGL), with a realization that current Kindergartners will graduate in 2036, what knowledge, skills, attributes, and experiences do ALL Warren students need that are critical to their future success regardless of what path they choose?”, said Doug Harter Districts 3E Grant & Community Partnership Coordinator.  

As the workforce development intermediary, EmployIndy works to help students and residents grow in a career that meets employer demand for talent. As part of this work, EmployIndy supports career-connected learning initiatives to provide real-world work experiences that help inform career choices and build skills. Learn more about our 2023-2025 strategic plan at: www.employindy.org/2023-2025-strategic-plan.

For more information on Envision Day, visit www.warren.k12.in.us/page/envision-day. 

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.employindy.org/rapidreemploymentresponse.