The American Staffing Association yesterday afternoon honored Nicole Bieker, CSP, vice president of operations at Milliner & Associates in Indianapolis, as its 2017 Volunteer of the Year. Bieker was honored during the opening general session of Staffing World® 2017, the association’s annual convention and expo, in Chicago.

Bieker has volunteered with ASA since 2014, when she first got involved with the ASA- affiliated chapter in Indiana. Today, she is chairman of the ASA Indiana regional council and of the ASA corporate social responsibility committee. She is also a member of the ASA staffing as a career committee.

In addition, Bieker is heavily involved in Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG)—an ASA philanthropic partner. JAG works with underserved students, providing job readiness coaching, internships, and mentoring to prepare them for the future. Milliner & Associates works with Indy JAG students at Decatur Central High School. Employees serve as mock interviewers and classroom guest speakers, and host numerous professional development activities during the school year. Bieker has become a JAG champion by collaborating with JAG National to assist ASA member firms from across the U.S., as well as other high schools locally around Indy, in creating partnerships with the organization in their geographic areas.

“Nicole’s service to JAG in Marion County has not only impacted Decatur Central participants directly, but she has given employer partners an example to mirror for JAG programs at other high schools,” says Beth Bowling, Youth Initiatives Manager at EmployIndy.

Bieker also gives back to a variety of Indianapolis-based organizations by serving as a member of the Butler University Career Services Advisory Board, EmployIndy Youth Committee, Indiana INTERNnet Employer Advisory Board, and the Indy Chamber— serving as president-elect of the Indy Chamber ambassadors.

“Nicole Bieker really raises the bar when it comes to giving back and supporting people, organizations, and worthwhile causes, and is extremely deserving to be recognized as the 2017 ASA Volunteer of the Year,” said Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer. “ASA thanks Nicole for her leadership, dedication, and valuable input, which have helped advance the association and the entire staffing, recruiting and workforce solutions industry.”

“To receive this award from my peers and from an organization that I am truly proud to represent means more to me than anyone will ever know and is beyond anything I could have ever imagined for myself and my career,” Bieker said. “To be recognized for work that is my heart’s true passion in an industry that has provided me with so many amazing opportunities to give back to my profession and community is an absolute honor and privilege.”

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About the American Staffing Association
The American Staffing Association is the voice of the U.S. staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions industry. ASA and its state affiliates advance the interests of the industry across all sectors through advocacy, research, education, and the promotion of high standards of legal, ethical, and professional practices. For more information about ASA, visit americanstaffing.net.

For More Information:

Joe Backe
317.713.7601
jbacke@nullemployindy.org

EmployIndy’s own Charlie Harris exemplifies the importance of our workforce development efforts here in Marion County. Charlie is a recruiter in EmployIndy’s Business Partnerships department, and he takes pride in the importance of his work and his ability to help provide direction for people who need it. His own path benefitted from such support years ago.

In 2002, when Charlie had been laid off and took a retail job with Burlington Coat Factory, he felt underemployed but did not know where to turn. He heard a radio ad for the local community organization Fathers & Families Center, and decided to go in to see what they could offer.

After an intake interview, he returned for an orientation and five-week job readiness training. When a data entry position opened at Fathers & Families Center a few months later, he applied and was hired. Charlie credits the interview prep skills for their impact on his professional development, helping him refine his resume, in-person interview skills, and professional appearance.

Next, Charlie applied for Pell Grants to pay for school at IUPUI, working to earn his bachelor’s degree. While working full-time, attending evening classes, and being a father to his children, Charlie realized that Pell Grants alone would not cover his expenses as he tried to advance his career. Fortunately, he qualified for enrollment for YES (Youth Employment Services) funds to help offset costs for tuition, books, and childcare expenses. This added support ensured that Charlie would not be delayed in his progress, and he was able to graduate in 2011 with a degree and expanded employment opportunities.

He has developed a passion for workforce development, staying in the field since that first interaction. In Charlie’s words, “Being able to give back and share my experience with the knowledge to know how to help someone – it feels good to help people with the same help I received.”

As an employee at Fathers & Families Center, he worked his way from data entry, to registrar, to eventually becoming a career counselor and employment specialist before joining EmployIndy in 2017. Charlie believes that “community based organizations offer more than services, they offer a place for people to develop trusting relationships to help provide direction and shape their life.” He views his work today with EmployIndy as a means of extending and empowering the abilities of CBOs to impact individuals, and continues to find it to be a rewarding career.

Association partnering on new efforts to address direct care worker shortage in skilled nursing care and assisted living.

EmployIndy is proud to partner with the Indiana Health Care Association/Indiana Center for Assisted Living (IHCA/INCAL) to establish a registered apprenticeship program to be implemented in skilled nursing and assisted living centers across Marion County. The program, funded by a grant through the U.S. Department of Labor, creates a pathway for employers to design an apprenticeship specific to their staffing needs that combines on-the-job learning with technical education.

National and Indiana-specific data paint an alarming picture of a declining workforce supply and a steadily increasing demand for long term care services. According to the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), one in every five Hoosiers will be an older adult by 2020. A recent survey by healthcare providers in Central Indiana listed Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), and Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) as the hardest positions to fill.

Apprenticeships have been common in industries such as construction and other trades for decades. The growth and demand from healthcare employers has resulted in obtaining and retaining skilled workers as a key workforce development effort around Marion County. According to ApprenticeshipUSA, there is a 91 percent retention rate for apprentices completing programs.

Apprentices are guided through the program by an experienced mentor and receive progressive wage increases. “Apprenticeships offer an opportunity for young people to work, learn, and connect with others who have seen success in a field of work,” says Angela Carr Klitzsch, EmployIndy President & CEO. “This shows the apprentice a path for career progress and professional development.” EmployIndy is working with these healthcare providers to assist them in leveraging financial reimbursements for wages and training costs associated with hiring individuals into a registered apprenticeship program.

“We are very excited to be working with EmployIndy to roll out this new registered apprenticeship program to our members,” said Zach Cattell, IHCA/INCAL President. “As we strive to identify new ways to help our members navigate the looming workforce crisis, we need to look at methods that have proven successful for other industries.”

Operators of three facilities in and around Marion County have already committed to establishing apprenticeship programs in those centers, and several others have expressed interest in the apprenticeship model. The goal is to get new CNAs certified who can eventually skill up to become Qualified Medication Aides (QMAs) and even work further to become an RN.

“It’s a very proactive approach that I think will be helpful,” said Shannon Ammerman, the administrator at Traditions of Solana, “The apprentices will hit the ground running and have a point person that can help them and us work through any challenges that arise.” The assisted living community on the northside of Indianapolis is preparing to launch an apprenticeship program for certified nurse aides (CNAs) and dietary aides in early 2018.

IHCA/INCAL is also launching a new online CNA Training Program with education development partner, Academic Platforms. By offering an online option as an alternative to the traditional classroom component of the CNA certification, care centers that already provide the hands-on education onsite will be able to train their own nursing assistants from start to finish.

These two new workforce efforts are part of a larger initiative that the association began in 2016 with the creation of carefortheaging.org, the first website to offer comprehensive information on skilled nursing and assisted living careers in Indiana. Carefortheaging.org provides information on a range of careers available at skilled nursing and assisted living facilities throughout Indiana, including education requirements, salaries and paths for career advancement. The site also links individuals seeking educational opportunities, internships or job placements with facilities looking to fill those roles.

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About IHCA/INCAL
IHCA/INCAL is the state’s largest trade association and advocacy group representing for-profit and not-for- profit nursing homes, as well as assisted living communities and Independent Living. The association provides education, information, and advocacy for health care providers, consumers, and the workforce on behalf of its more than 350 member facilities.

Contact:
Emily Berger
317.616.9036
eberger@nullihca.org

About EmployIndy
EmployIndy guides the local workforce ecosystem and makes strategic investments to remove barriers to quality employment for underserved and underrepresented residents. As the workforce development board for Marion County, guided by 21 business, civic, education, and non-profit community leaders, EmployIndy invests $19 million in public, private and philanthropic funds for both youth and adults annually.

Contact:
Joe Backe
317.713.7601
jbacke@nullemployindy.org