To our Ecosystem Partners, Supporters and Influencers –

Over the past decade, Indianapolis has seen an 80 percent increase in individuals living in poverty. This is unacceptable. In an effort to discontinue impoverishing more families, EmployIndy aims to not only grow our programs and initiatives, but to invest in services for residents directly impacted by lack of access to education and training and jobs not paying a living, middle class wage.

In 2017, EmployIndy made a promise to the community to be a catalyst for change. Through addressing systemic barriers for entry-level workers by supporting employers; creating a positive trajectory for young adults by providing them with increased opportunities; and allocating resources to invest in our most marginalized neighborhoods, EmployIndy has recently concluded the second year of its strategic effort to establish a comprehensive workforce ecosystem for Indianapolis.

While there is still more work to be done, I invite you to peruse the highlights of our efforts throughout program year 2018. As EmployIndy reflects on year two of our Strategic Plan, we call out the barriers to quality employment for residents living in poverty and identify the tactical solutions that serve as a cornerstone to our programs and initiatives for underserved and underrepresented neighbors. By expanding our community reach through high school and postsecondary initiatives and increasing our access to individuals who are upskilling and re-engaging in the workforce, EmployIndy has played a major role in investing in the education, training and job placement of tens of thousands of residents.

We could not have done this without our partners. From educators in the K-12 space to passionate and committed employers to community and faith-based organizations working directly with previously incarcerated workers, we have come together to provide hope, encourage determination, inspire resiliency, reduce barriers and open doors for success.

Thank you to all our stakeholders who have played a role in identifying and executing on solutions that focus on increasing access and opportunity for our fellow Indianapolis residents. EmployIndy continues to grow these pivotal relationships as we endeavor with your help to build a pipeline of workers for a strong regional economy, invest in young people and contribute to reversing the growth of poverty in our community.

– Angela Carr Klitzsch, EmployIndy President & CEO

VIEW THE ANNUAL REPORT

IUPUI and Ivy Tech students among those to receive funds and coaching services to help them complete graduation requirements

AUGUST 26, 2019 – INDIANAPOLIS – Today, Mayor Joe Hogsett announced the first round of Promise Scholarships now available to IUPUI and Ivy Tech students. The Promise Scholarship fund has awarded scholarships to 344 students at IUPUI. At Ivy Tech, Promise Scholarships have been awarded to 85 students so far, with 178 additional scholarships offered. These scholarships, coupled with innovative coaching services, are designed to help Marion County students complete college by reducing barriers to on-time completion.

“We want to make sure every student, in every zip code, has the opportunity to earn a high-quality post-secondary degree or credential,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “This ensures more Indianapolis residents have the skills they need, for the good-paying jobs of the future. With this first round of Promise Scholarships, students will be set on a solid path to their future careers.”

Students from Marion County who receive state aid, such as the Frank O'Bannon Grant or Indiana 21st Century Scholars, and are in good academic standing qualify for the Indy Achieves Promise Scholarship. The Scholarship covers the student’s tuition, fees, books, and supplies after all other financial aid is exhausted. The Promise Scholarship addresses financial barriers that too often prevent students from enrolling in or completing a postsecondary program.

“IUPUI is proud to be partnering with the city of Indianapolis and Ivy Tech on Indy Achieves, opening doors of opportunity for hundreds of students to pursue higher education so vital for success in today’s economy,” IUPUI Chancellor Nasser H. Paydar said. “This program allows us to further strengthen our strategic focus on student success, ensuring that Indy Achieves students will have tuition, fees, books and supplies fully covered while enrolled at IUPUI.”

The Indy Achieves Promise Scholarship is a part of Mayor Hogsett’s commitment to ensuring college is accessible and affordable for all Marion County students.

“I'll be able to focus more on my school work and my academic success and worry less about the stress of financial burden,” said Hannah Mayorga, Warren Central High School graduate, incoming freshman at IUPUI and Promise Scholarship recipient. “I'll be able to get more out of my college experience and make the most of the opportunities that IUPUI has to offer.”

In addition to financial support, the Indy Achieves Promise Scholarship provides unique coaching services to those students receiving an Indy Achieves Promise Scholarship. Students are matched with an on-campus professional coach to help them fulfill basic needs, navigate campus resources, and participate in work experiences. These Student Success Coaches are employed by EmployIndy, which houses Indy Achieves, with offices located at Ivy Tech or IUPUI.

“Indy Achieves is offering to help me be successful while I’m in college. They want to give us not only financial help, but mental support as well so I can stay on track and be productive,” said Lorenzo Garcia, Arsenal Technical High School graduate, freshman at IUPUI and Promise Scholarship recipient. “With the lack of help I have at home, it means a lot to me because I know that I can go to someone who wants to help me succeed.”

Indianapolis needs about 215,000 more adults with postsecondary degrees and credentials to meet employer demand. Indy Achieves Promise Scholarships are designed to address that gap in the workforce by helping to graduate more IUPUI and Ivy Tech students with the skills needed to excel and positively impact the future of Marion County.

View more photos from the event.

EmployIndy is formally launching its YES Indy Re-Engagement Center (REC), expanding to two additional locations at Eastern Star Church and Mount Carmel Church after soft-launching a pilot site over a year ago with the Finish Line Boys & Girls Club on the Far Eastside. The RECs are designed as an outreach tactic to attract “opportunity youth” – residents ages 16-24 who have disconnected from education and/or employment – using open gym basketball to bring them to a space where career services can be offered.

The concept came from the mind of Rev. Rodney Francis, senior director of opportunity youth at EmployIndy, and aligns with the organization’s strategic plan to provide positive opportunities for young adults, particularly in impoverished, high-crime neighborhoods. The first REC has been quietly operating at the Finish Line Boys & Girls Club, utilizing their facility during school hours when it would traditionally be closed.

“Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis believes every young person deserves to live a life filled with hope and opportunity,” said Maggie A. Lewis, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis. “Providing our youth on the Far Eastside with more than just basketball, but a safe place to spend time and engage with those who can help them seek educational and employment opportunities is critical to inspiring and empowering them toward success.”

Since the soft launch last May, over 1,200 individuals have come through the doors to play basketball, many of whom would meet the criteria to receive YES Indy services. Once engaged, young adults have opportunities to engage with REFs (re-engagement facilitators) and start creating a life change by attending the “Power Huddle,” a mind-setting course offered at the Finish Line Boys & Girls Club to participants who want to take that first step. 

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 receiving barrier busting support, such as assistance with rent, transportation, or childcare.

“Reconnecting disconnected young adults with education and employment opportunities is an important element of our strategy for inclusive growth,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett.  “When young people in all of our city’s neighborhoods have access to postsecondary education and good paying jobs, we see greater social and economic equality, as well as successes in crime reduction and an increase in the overall sense of security for youth and their families across Indianapolis.”

Key to making the concept work is developing partnerships for hosting participants and working with one of the eleven Indianapolis-area YES Indy providers to offer career services. EmployIndy also negotiated relationships with adult education providers and local businesses for referrals. The collaborative efforts aim to have lasting impact on the crime, poverty, and economic mobility in the neighborhoods where RECs are located.

In order to continue these efforts, EmployIndy has braided funds from grantors such as Lilly Endowment, Starbucks Foundation, the City of Indianapolis Office of Public Health and Safety and most recently, Community Leadership Innovation Fund, a fund of Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF).

“We cannot ignore the barriers confronting these individuals,” said Milt Thompson, advisor to the Community Leadership Innovation Fund at Central Indiana Community Foundation. “These youth are at a critical moment in their lives and need our community’s support more than ever.”

Jervell Jackson has been a regular during the open gym basketball, and YES Indy has opened doors that may never have seemed possible. His career navigator at CAFE, a YES Indy service provider, helped pay for books to prepare for his CDL exam, and connected him to classes to become a certified basketball referee. The staff at the various organizations who partner to bring YES Indy to life are excited when they see positive outcomes and hope to see more as the two new RECs continue to grow.

“I took the information I learned and put it to use,” said Jackson. “Not only have I become a better man, I learned how crucial it is to find what you want your career in life to be and to not settle for anything less.”

Connect to a YES Indy service provider at yesindy317.org.