Twenty-six students throughout Central Indiana sign a certificate of acceptance as they begin their apprenticeship journey

Event recording
INDIANAPOLIS (May 15, 2021) – This morning at Ben Davis High School, 26 Central Indiana high school sophomores signed the Modern Apprenticeship certificate of acceptance to work as apprentices for 16 local employer partners*, piloting the first-ever cohort of EmployIndy’s Central Indiana youth apprenticeship program, Modern Apprenticeship. Of the 100+ students that expressed interest, these 26 apprentices were chosen among their peers to participate in Modern Apprenticeship, a two- to three-year paid experience launched in coordination with Ascend Indiana in Fall 2020. EmployIndy, Marion County’s workforce development board, and Ascend Indiana, the talent and workforce development initiative of Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), actively support the apprentices, employers, and general programmatic outcomes for Modern Apprenticeship.

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For the apprentices, the journey will officially kick off this summer as they attend a bootcamp to develop their employability skills and start their jobs at their new employers. Beginning their junior year of high school, apprentices will split their time between the classroom and the workplace. By the end of the experience, they will have obtained not only a high school diploma and invaluable social capital, they will also earn industry-recognized credentials and transferable college credits.

“The Modern Apprenticeship opportunity is an excellent example of K-12, higher education, and industry partners strategically working together to help Hoosier students maximize their success,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “Student-centered, future-focused partnerships like this are essential to helping students access quality work-based learning and earn postsecondary credentials while they’re still in high school.”

Today, at the inaugural Modern Apprenticeship Signing Day, both apprentices and employers signed a formal certificate of acceptance, signifying the beginning of their journey together. As part of this commitment, the employer will mentor and support the student as they navigate an in-demand role within the organization. Through their participation in Modern Apprenticeship, these employers demonstrate their commitment to being co-producers of talent alongside education partners.

“We’re excited to witness this program’s progress and evolution during its pilot year,” said Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. “The City of Indianapolis is proud to be part of the first cohort of employers to hire an apprentice who, beginning this summer, will work part-time as a member of our staff.”

As employer demand for highly-skilled talent continues to grow, it is necessary to establish a system of career-connected learning that will create equitable opportunities for all Indianapolis students. EmployIndy and Ascend have partnered with regional and national career readiness initiatives to pilot a program that provides students with quality, integrated work experiences combined with classroom learning that will prepare young people for a successful transition to college and jobs of the future.

“As the economy continues to evolve due to automation and globalization, it is increasingly critical to ensure all students in Indianapolis have access to education and training that align with changing employer demand.” said Jason Kloth, president and CEO, Ascend Indiana. “Modern Apprenticeship is a responsive model that can be expanded to create work-based learning opportunities for youth across the state.”

Ascend Indiana and EmployIndy are continuing to partner closely to grow the program, increasing engaged schools, apprentices, and employer partners as they strategize for the 2022 cohort.

“EmployIndy is excited to celebrate our inaugural class of apprentices today,” said Marie Mackintosh, chief strategy officer, EmployIndy. “Our employer partners are thrilled to welcome the students into the workplace where they will add value while building skills on the job. As our economy continues to recover and demand for talent increases, we look forward to scaling the Modern Apprenticeship program in Central Indiana and creating more real-world experiences that benefit students, employers, and our community.”

Congratulations to the first cohort of Modern Apprenticeship students:

• Akinwale Adesakin, George Washington High School – Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS)
• Daniel Camacho, Ben Davis High School – Katz Sapper & Miller (KSM)
• Jordyn Collins, Pike High School – OneAmerica
• Ja’Kyra Cox, George Washington High School – Ivy Tech Community College
• Ramiro Delgado, Arsenal Technical High School – Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS)
• Salematou Diaby,  Pike High School – EmployIndy
• Aanaiah Evans, North Central High School – Roche Diagnostics
• Ruby Galvan, Ben Davis High School – City of Indianapolis
• Melanie Garcia, North Central High School – EmployIndy
• Isaiah Gebrekidan, Victory College Prep – Ivy Tech Community College
• Anthony Golden, North Central High School – TechPoint
• Nicholas Graves, Ben Davis High School – Indy Chamber
• Nyema Hillman, North Central High School – Ascension/St. Vincent
• Kinaya Hines, North Central High School – Roche Diagnostics
• Clarissa Hunt, Pike High School – Pepper Construction
• Sydney Johnson, North Central High School – Ascension/St. Vincent
• Virginia Martinez, North Central High School – Ascension/St. Vincent
• Evelyn Ogundare, Ben Davis High School – Roche Diagnostics
• Abigail Ortiz Amado, Ben Davis High School – AES Indiana
• Zion Peterson, North Central High School – OneAmerica
• Sophia Pimental, Pike High School – Ascension/St. Vincent
• Ariana Rodriguez Shinault, George Washington High School – Ascend Indiana
• Fatoumata Sylla, Pike High School – Skillful Indiana
• Jada Taylor, George Washington High School – Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS)
• Will Valentine, North Central High School – Ascend Indiana
• Morgan Wilson, North Central High School – Indianapolis Airport Authority

*Participating Employers: AES Indiana, Ascend Indiana, Ascension St. Vincent, City of Indianapolis, EmployIndy, Katz Sapper & Miller, Indianapolis Airport Authority, Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), Indy Chamber, Ivy Tech Community College, OneAmerica, Pepper Construction, Roche Diagnostics, Skillful Indiana, TechPoint, and The Heritage Group

Participating Indianapolis-area Township School Districts and Charter Schools: Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), Phalen Leadership Academy, Pike High School, Victory College Prep, Washington Township, and Wayne Township

To learn more about Modern Apprenticeship (MAP), visit www.indymodernapprenticeship.com.

Outlines Indy Achieves and EmployIndy’s plan to assist Indianapolis residents in experiencing economic growth and mobility through pursuit of postsecondary education

View Executive Summary | View Strategic Plan

2 February 2021 – Indianapolis – Today Indy Achieves officially launched their new, three-year strategic plan with the continued vision to make postsecondary education attainment a reality for all Marion County residents to enable economic mobility and future prosperity. This strategic plan builds upon the previous plan and includes the following priority areas: Access; Completion; Career Connection; Adult Learners; and Governance, Communications, and Budget.

“As of the end of 2020, over half of the Marion County residents who applied for unemployment insurance had no postsecondary degrees or credentials,” said Angela Carr Klitzsch, president and CEO of EmployIndy. “In order to bridge this economic supply/demand gap and remove barriers to education, we need to establish an increased flow of information between residents and institutions, increase support for students as they transition to and through postsecondary education, and create a clear pathway for adults to skill-up and complete industry-recognized credentials or degrees.”

The Indy Achieves Strategic Plan focuses on creating a seamless transition for Indianapolis residents of all ages to transition to higher education and successfully progress into the workforce after completion. Over the past two years, Indy Achieves has focused on traditional pathways to postsecondary education, providing Promise Scholarships and Completion grants to over 1200 students at Ivy Tech Community College – Indianapolis and IUPUI. With this growing plan, the focus will expand to adult learners, leveraging existing relationships built through 21st Century Scholars, adults who attended Ivy Tech or IUPUI but did not complete their degree, and employees at employer partner companies seeking further education.

“By increasing their focus on serving the adult population, Indy Achieves is taking steps to support our residents, neighbors, and peers. The individual impact of this approach will last far beyond the pandemic, as people learn new skills and, ultimately, experience economic mobility as they have increased opportunity to transition into high-demand, higher-paying jobs,” said Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett.

Indy Achieves will continue partnering with Ivy Tech Community College, IUPUI, Indiana Commission for Higher Education, Indianapolis middle and high schools, and local employers to streamline a career readiness approach, increasing enrollment and completion rates for residents. Each of these partnerships plays an integral role in ensuring that students and residents alike have equal opportunity for economic growth and success. From engaging with Marion County middle schools to process over 915 21st Century Scholar applications during the 2020 school year, to working closely with employers to allow current employees to re-enroll in postsecondary, Indy Achieves is continuing to build and expand partnerships throughout Indianapolis.

“Completing a postsecondary degree or credential is a crucial factor to maintaining economic mobility. Our team is working tirelessly to ensure that residents not only have access to financial support, but receive personalized assistance as they move through postsecondary,” said Matt Impink, vice president of postsecondary and executive director of Indy Achieves at EmployIndy. “We are excited to see what happens in the coming years and witness the impact our partnerships will make in the lives of people in our community.”

Appendix A: Messages of Support for the 2021 Indy Achieves Strategic Plan

Center for Leadership Development (CLD): Yuri Smith, Manager of Community Programs
“We are so grateful for the immeasurable work that Indy Achieves and you are doing. As a fellow alum, I believe CLD has wired us to ensure we make our community a better place and your strategy to connect families and young people with the 21st Century Scholars program, is one great example of that service. Since partnering with your organization, we have been able to host presentations, register students and expose families to the 21st Century scholars application process, who prior to this relationship, had no idea how their students would be able to pay for college. Thank you for all of your efforts. We look forward to strengthening our relationship, so that we can ensure that all students, who are applicable for the 21st Century Scholars program, register and take advantage of this great program.”

Decatur Middle School: James Storms, School Counselor
“Through support from Indy Achieves, Decatur Middle School is working with families during these challenging times to meet the needs of our students who qualify for the 21st Century Scholar Program. We are grateful for the 21st Century Scholar Presentations during the Parent Zoom Parties. Indy Achieves is supporting both our English and Spanish speaking population! Decatur Middle School recognizes the importance of collaborating with Indy Achieves and we thank you for your generous time and effort working with our families.”

Guion Creek Middle School (MSD Pike Township): Amy Land, School Counselor
“Being a Title 1 school, we strive to get almost all of our students signed up for 21st Century Scholars! This alone can be a daunting job, but especially when added to all of our other counseling duties. Having a partnership with Indy Achieves really helps us be able to get more accurate and detailed information out and to reach more of our families.”

Harshman Middle School: Carrie Murphy, Family and Community Engagement Coordinator
“Indy Achieves continually goes above and beyond for Harshman. From attending parent nights to presenting in classrooms — virtual and in person — Indy Achieves has always been creative and inventive when it comes to meeting the needs of the Harshman Middle School community. When I think of partners who truly make a difference at our school, Indy Achieves is at the top of the list. We have seen our 21st Century Scholar enrollment more than double since partnering with this energetic and professional team and now can't imagine offering this opportunity to our families without them.”

IUPUI: Boyd Bradshaw, Associate Vice Chancellor (AVC) for Enrollment Management and Chief Enrollment Officer
“Indy Achieves engages in innovative ways to promote quality education and research with a plan that creates new opportunities to ensure student success and degree completion.”

Ivy Tech Community College – Indianapolis: John Cowles, Vice Chancellor for Student Success
“I am incredibly impressed with the work of Indy Achieves focusing on postsecondary certificate and degree attainment of Marion county residents. I look forward to seeing great success in Indy Achieves for years to come.”

Pike High School: Qiana Miller, School Counselor and 21st Century Liaison
“Not often do you encounter a program and staff that always go above and beyond for the promotion of students, but with Indy Achieves you get nothing less than the best. I look forward to  many more years of partnership.”

Sense Charter School: Erin Good, School Counselor
“Indy Achieves has been an incredible community partner in our efforts to ensure that students take advantage of the 21st Century Scholars program. It has been so helpful to consult with an outside agency for new and different ideas to get our students and families engaged in the enrollment process. I am thankful that they are willing to come to the table and brainstorm how to reach our school community, no matter the circumstances. I appreciate that Indy Achieves has generated innovative ways to make sure enrollment is easy and accessible to all families. Their assistance lessens my load so I can put energy towards meeting my students’ various needs outside college readiness!”

EmployIndy, Ascend Indiana, CareerWise Colorado, Zurich North America, and many more are changing the perception of apprenticeships – engaging innovative employers in high-demand industries to prepare young people for the workforce of the future.

Traditionally, apprenticeships are viewed as opportunities exclusively available to adults in the trade industries, such as welding and construction. In the 21st century, that is no longer true. These industries learned early on that this structure was critical to build a trained workforce – something that many employers in other fields wished for. To celebrate these opportunities and the expansion of apprenticeship into high-demand fields, such as IT, healthcare, and business, the United States Department of Labor hosts National Apprenticeship Week.

National Apprenticeship Week brings together business leaders, career seekers, educational institutions, and stakeholders to showcase their programs and apprentices within their community. The participating employers have prepared a highly-skilled workforce to meet their talent needs as they shape individuals to both invest in their industry and fit the mold of their company.

In 2018 and 2019, EmployIndy staff members attended a Best Practices summit in Denver, Colorado, and the CEMETs Institute in Switzerland to learn more about the modern youth apprenticeship model and see how it could be implemented in Indianapolis. This all started because EmployIndy was launching Talent Bound – a work-based learning initiative for high school students. While work-based learning is preparing students for career exploration and engagement, the next step was to create on-the-job opportunities that could ultimately translate into a career.

Recognizing that a traditional four-year education is not always the best option for all students, EmployIndy and Ascend Indiana announced an innovative Modern Apprenticeship program, utilizing the structure that was put in place by the trades industries and making it applicable to other high-growth, high-demand industries. By connecting employers to high school students, they are able to build their current and future talent pipeline while providing young adults with the unique opportunity to build their professional network, graduate high school, get paid a higher wage, and gain an industry-recognized credential and college credits. In partnership with CareerWise Colorado in Elkhart County and Ascend Indiana, EmployIndy is aiming to do at least 100 apprenticeships over the next four years in Indiana.

The Modern Apprenticeship Program creates a structure for employers to be part of the solution and removes barriers so all students can have equal accessibility to careers in high-demand fields, ultimately leading to economic mobility.

The launch of Modern Apprenticeship is just one local career readiness plan:

• Ascend Indiana is leading a statewide Community of Practice with postsecondary and secondary institutions, government leaders, funders, and stakeholders
• EmployIndy is leading the New Skills Ready Network to build out career readiness opportunities for all young people alongside Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), Governors Workforce Cabinet, Ivy Tech Community College, IUPUI, Ascend Indiana and Indiana Commission for Higher Education

In July 2020, CareerWise Colorado, in partnership with EmployIndy, Ascend Indiana, Horizon Education Alliance, CityBridge Education, and HERE to HERE, was awarded a $5 million grant from the US Department of Labor to assist in expanding the number of registered youth apprenticeships. This happens by working directly with local employers to demystify youth apprenticeships while supporting them along the program lifecycle. These funds are specifically tailored towards creating shared supportive services to build a learning network based on local expertise and diverse economic environments.

Organizations nationwide are recognizing the value of apprenticeship for all industries and we are excited to support our young people and our community by building career readiness strategies and best practices for all residents.