The Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation (ICRF) is aware of the impending workforce shortage within the industry and is working with EmployIndy to solve it. ICRF recently partnered with the John H. Boner Community Center to offer a BY Training Class to bolster the construction workforce through free training, culminating with a hiring event attended by businesses that EmployIndy brought to fill their in-demand positions.
ICRF President Chris Price describes BY as “a six-week training program that aims to help people by teaching them the basic skills needed to succeed in the construction industry,” such as using hand tools and power tools, basic safety, construction math, introduction to blueprints, basic rigging, and various soft skills. The course helps job-seekers not only enter the construction industry, but advance to the journeyman-level much quicker than usual. Upon completing the class, participants obtain their NCCER and OSHA10 certifications and CCS cards.
According to ICRF, “the construction industry is uniquely positioned to connect with people of all backgrounds and to provide people living in poverty with a pathway to the middle class.” High paying construction jobs generally have few barriers to entry, which is important for residents in EmployIndy’s strategic target impact areas. The BY training focused on incorporating formerly convicted felons, women, and minorities into the construction workforce, a form of inclusive growth championed by EmployIndy that helps both residents and employers simultaneously.
“I see this as a great entry into the industry” says Janice Bernard, who learned about BY through her WorkOne Indy career navigator. “I hope to position myself for a long-term career in project management or risk management and compliance.”
Other community-based organizations are talking about BY’s success, and Southeast Community Services is already making plans to replicate the training program at their location. Tracy Hartman, an Employer Engagement Manager at EmployIndy, emphasizes the importance of the wrap-around services community centers provide to help potential participants overcome initial barriers many may struggle with. “Not only can community centers host the class,” she says, “but by teaching employability skills and offering barrier-busting funds, they set the class participants up to succeed in their new career.”
For programs like this, EmployIndy serves as an intermediary by helping to broker the relationship between employers, ICRF, and the Boner Center. Tracy Hartman promoted the BY program early on to her contacts at various businesses who became involved by presenting at the class and/or interviewing individuals at the hiring day. She also promoted the events that ICRF hosted leading up to the first day of class and she connected businesses including:
Custom Concrete (presented to class and attended hiring fair)
DECO Coatings (presented to class)
Gaylor Electric (presented to class and attended hiring fair)
F. A. Wilhelm Construction (presented to class and attended hiring fair)
Shiel Sexton (attended hiring fair)
In order to bring the BY class to the attention of potential participants, EmployIndy shared information with frontline career services workers around Indy and on social media. BY flyers were also directly shared by WorkOne career navigators, promoted at various job fairs and rapid response events, and it was heavily encouraged to organizations working with the re-entry population. The effectiveness of this influence became clear after hearing from participants on hiring day, as all were able to reflect back on learning about the program from a wide array of players in Marion County’s Workforce Ecosystem.
The course had interesting ways of vetting participants for employers. On the first day of class, every participant signed an accountability contract stating that they would always be early for class, remain drug free, and participate actively. Each individual received an accountability score that started at 100 and lost points if they had an unexcused absence or were tardy, as communication was stressed to better simulate a work environment. A list of all participants and their accountability scores were shared with employers at the hiring day.
By the end of the hiring day, every participant received at least one job offer with a starting hourly wage of $17 or more.
For participants like Robert Dowdy, the impact excites him for his future. “For the past 5 years I have been working in retail, and it took that long to work my way up to $19.25 an hour,” he says. “but after this class, I received a job offer starting at $20 an hour, only to go up from there.”
EmployIndy will share information about the next class when the 2019 application goes live – so be sure to follow on social media and sign up for our newsletter. The course is being planned for a February start. Employers interested in teaming up with the BY Training Class by presenting at the class and/or interviewing participants for job openings should connect with Tracy Hartman, EmployIndy’s Employer Engagement Manager focused on the construction industry.
The Indiana State Summit: Creating Career Pathways for All Students on Wednesday, December 12th hosted local, state, and international experts, including EmployIndy President Angela Carr Klitzsch, who spoke about the importance of building a rigorous system of career and technical education and work-based learning opportunities for all students and adult learners.
Throughout the day, the leaders speaking on panels focused on key points:
Quality apprenticeships and other work-based learning opportunities cannot be built overnight.
Doing and learning (via work-based learning) simultaneously produces the best results.
Relationships forged between employers and educators are crucial.
Using common language and terminology is necessary for clear, successful communication.
The stigma against career and technical education in the U.S. needs to be addressed.
Students learning about what they don’t want to do is a part of the educational experience, but the earlier those realizations can happen, the better off they will be.
Angela Carr Klitzsch discussed EmployIndy’s partnership with IPS to scale a comprehensive work-and-learn system at their academies. She also noted that workforce development boards, like EmployIndy, are poised to be the intermediary between education and industry, bridging the gap in order to ensure the creation of quality work-based learning opportunities. The panel, entitled “Indiana Action on CTE & Apprenticeships: Models to Expand,” was moderated by Claire Fiddian-Green, President of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, and included Director of Pathways for Students and Adults at Horizon Education Alliance Jason Harrison, Ivy Tech Vice President of K-12 Initiatives and Statewide Partnerships Katie Jenner, and Conexus Chief Talent Programs Officer Brad Rhorer.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – December 6, 2018 – Today a group of Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) students from Decatur Central and George Washington high schools visited Genesys, a software-driven customer experience-centered organization on Indy’s Northwest Side, to learn more about the technology industry. JAG is a state-affiliated program that EmployIndy guides for 14 high schools here in Marion County, designed to provide opportunities for high school juniors and seniors to explore and establish career options and goals. Company tours like these aid students’ growth and offer a look into potential careers as they plan for their future and transition to post-secondary education and/or the local workforce.
“We have to attract students earlier and what’s even more important is that students are open to opportunity out there and they know they can achieve it,” says Todd Pedersen, VP of Corporate Affairs at Genesys, who coordinated the day of facility tours and staff presentations. “There doesn’t have to be a perfect path through software engineering, there are a lot of ways to end up in a technology company.”
The students learned about the mission of Genesys, their passion for software enhancement and their community impact as they travelled through the building, heard from panelists, and engaged one-on-one with Genesys employees. As the Indianapolis tech industry continues to grow, large and small companies alike are taking time to teach and influence young adults who are the future of the workforce.
“I liked this visit so much that it actually has influenced my own career interests from just graphic design to doing what they do here,” said Joseph Trisdale, a junior at Decatur Central High School. “I thought, ‘hey that’s really cool – I could work in tech and still get to interact with people,’ and that would be perfect for me since I am that kind of sociable person. I want to be there to help solve problems people have and be able to fix problems fast, just like they do here.”
Through JAG and other programs like Job Ready Indy and Project Indy, EmployIndy partners with local businesses that can teach young adults about available opportunities and career paths in high-demand industries.
Today’s event provided these JAG students with a better understanding of the what their future could look like, right here locally. When it comes time to seek out a career, students will remember immersive experiences like business tours, job shadowing, internships, and part-time jobs to make more informed decisions that align with their interests and talents.
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 $20 million in public, private and philanthropic funds for both youth and adults annually.
About Genesys Genesys® powers more than 25 billion of the world’s best customer experiences each year. Our success comes from connecting employee and customer conversations on any channel. Every day, 11,000 companies in more than 100 countries trust our #1 customer experience platform to drive great business outcomes and create lasting relationships. Combining the best of technology and human ingenuity, we build solutions that mirror natural communication and work the way you think. Our industry-leading solutions foster true omnichannel engagement because they perform equally well across channels, on-premises and in the cloud. Experience communication as it should be: fluid, instinctive and profoundly empowering. Visit genesys.com on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and the Genesys blog.
WorkOne Indy staff members serve a wide variety of audiences and this week the focus was on veterans. At the JVSG Veterans Conference, Career Navigators and Service Providers from all over the state gathered to learn more about best practices, programs, and tools available to better assist this population. Many of these individuals have served in the armed forces and have passion in their hearts to help other veterans take the next steps to navigate back into the workforce.
“With every military person that I have come across, there is a sense of commitment and dedication to whatever they are working on at the time.” – DWD Commissioner Fred Payne
Darrell Johnson, Commissioner Payne, and Joshua McDonald
A major point of discussion revolved around the importance of partner organizations working together to invest in these individuals and continue to grow the numbers of veterans served, especially amongst this time where employers are actively seeking individuals with a wide variety of training and qualifications. There were several staff members from service providers who were recognized throughout the state as individuals who excel in this practice, and two of them were from Region 12 (Marion County): Joshua McDonald and Darrell Johnson.
Joshua was one of five recipients of the “Annual Performance Incentive Award,” recognized for his “never take no for an answer” approach and his work in exceeding expectations by reaching out to other organizations in order to retain positions and “going above and beyond” to connect with veterans.
Darrell was given the “Service Provider of the Year Award,” a state-wide award for one individual who excels at work, actively honors all veterans, and “raises the bar” for team members. Darrell has been called upon to share his experience serving veterans and his passion for this population far exceeds job requirements.
EmployIndy is so proud to have WorkOne Indy staff members who go above and beyond to serve the residents of Marion County. With the goal of breaking down barriers for all individuals and providing opportunities and connections so that they can take the next step in their career, service providers and career navigators are the individuals on the front lines who are making things possible.
This recognition is well deserved and the hope is this success will continue to grow as WorkOne Indy services expand into different areas throughout Indianapolis, such as libraries, adult education centers, and Ivy Tech, in order to serve more residents.
WorkOne Indy staff gathered today to reflect on a year of service to Marion County residents, taking time that is normally used for enrichment and teamwork to for a celebration that was both enriching and unifying.
Staff members voted for their peers in four categories to recognize achievement in categories that identified excellence in behind-the-scenes support, positive attitude, professional growth, and overall excellence. Winners were recognized with their nominations read aloud for the group for traits like customer service with complex clients, problem-solving through tricky situations, and their willingness to support colleagues with new ideas and friendly support.
Tori Robinson, a RES Operations Supervisor and winner of the “Brightest Star” award, spoke of one of her clients who was struggling – going through ABE classes to brush up on skills while also dealing with an abusive relationship. “Every time she came in I encouraged her to continue to apply to jobs, and keep faith,” Tori said. “Weeks later, instead of her coming in with the frown, she came into the office with a big smile just to say that she now found her dream job!”
Tori cited compassion – especially for difficult clients who find success – as a key motivator that drives staff when working daily to help people with their career.
“These sort of events are not just about recognizing hard work – they bring staff together in a way that builds chemistry and understanding so that our staff identify as a team with a common goal.”
Penny Dunning, EmployIndy’s Director of Career Services
As EmployIndy has guided WorkOne Indy to lean into a service model that stresses consistency, staff are encouraged to learn from each other and identify best practices for career navigation of clients. This concept is expanding beyond the walls of the WorkOne Indy offices and into numerous organizations around Indianapolis as EmployIndy continues to build relationships with community partners to regularly house WorkOne Indy staff in places like libraries, Ivy Tech, and adult education providers.
With EmployIndy acting as the central guide and intermediary of Indy’s entire workforce ecosystem, this idea of sharing and recognizing efforts goes beyond WorkOne Indy. Best practices are being identified between service providers, programs, and community partners across the ecosystem – and EmployIndy has developed Ecosystem Enrichment meetings and the Employing Indy newsletter to share these valuable ideas.
But today it was about WorkOne Indy staff like Tori, who earned her award for her willingness to try new ideas and encourage coworkers to innovate. “We all work hard,” she said, “and knowing that we are consciously identifying and learning from each other’s accomplishments is important to help us feel like a cohesive unit.”
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – November 20, 2018 – Today nine young adults completed a training program that gives them the power and the tools to change their lives. The Pivot Re-Engagement Center, a partnership between EmployIndy, Finish Line Boys and Girls Club, and Community Alliance of the Far Eastside (CAFE), celebrated their first cohort of the “Power Huddle,” a mindset and employability skills course that prepares individuals for their next step in establishing their career.
Located at the Finish Line Boys & Girls Club on North Post Road, the Pivot Re-Engagement Center is one of many ways that EmployIndy has focused efforts on the Far Eastside, a target area of their strategic plan where unemployment and poverty remain higher than the rest of Marion County. EmployIndy launched the Pivot Re-Engagement Center with a goal of registering 100 young adults in 2018. Since the soft launch in May 2018, 740 individuals have signed up. Not only does this signify that there is a need for a safe space, but there is also a desire in these young adults to grow.
“They go through [the Power Huddle] not knowing it is a huge stepping stone for them,” said Jamarro Johnson, YES Youth Employment Specialist at CAFE. “When we meet and I address the steps to make this possible, they realize that their dreams aren’t as far off as they once imagined.”
The first Power Huddle cohort
This is why the Power Huddle is a crucial first step to finding sustainable employment, discovering their passions, or engaging in post-secondary training and education. Once through the Power Huddle, CAFE is engaging participants by providing assistance in adult basic education enrollment and guiding young adults into their career through a variety of career exploration and service elements. For Pivot participants, these opportunities provide a gateway for each individual to pursue his/her dreams.
“It’s all about transformation for us,” said Rodney Francis, EmployIndy Senior Director of Opportunity Youth Initiatives. “If they are self-motivated and learn to establish a vision and goals for themselves, then they have a better chance at success.”
The participants come from a variety of backgrounds, but all share the same dream of creating a bright future for themselves. Daysha, 22, is a Power Huddle graduate who started her education at Indiana University in 2014, but then had to drop out for financial and transportation reasons. She decided to move back to Indianapolis and enroll at IUPUI. A little over a year ago, Daysha resigned from IUPUI for similar reasons but also had a realization: “Not only could I not pay for my own wifi, I realized I didn’t know what I wanted to do or where to apply myself.”
Jayden, another participant, is 17 and graduating early from Lawrence North High School. He finished all of his classes this past summer, and this fall he has been working at McDonald’s while waiting to walk at his high school graduation in December. Jayden has always wanted to become a carpenter but not looked into local training opportunities, so he was not sure how he could reach this next step.
“When [Pivot instructors] were talking, they were all saying things I needed to hear to build my own self-confidence,” said Jayden. “Instead of always underestimating myself, I had a real potential to go and achieve my goals. It helped me to see myself from a different perspective and know that I am capable of doing what I dream.”
This sentiment was the resounding echo from the students. The Pivot Power Huddle opened their eyes to see where their passions align with their skills and current workforce needs in high-demand industries.
Since completing the Power Huddle, Daysha has decided to not only re-enroll at IUPUI and get her bachelor’s degree in Communications, but she wants to apply for the Peace Corps by next year so she can work overseas with youth. In addition, Jayden has looked into the best carpentry courses and wants to start his own business once he has achieved his certification and established a solid amount of reliable clientele.
“I think this program truly has the potential to impact young lives on the eastside,” said Erik Davenport, the Pivot Re-Engagement Center Director. “Even in the past two weeks, I have noticed such a change in their mindsets. You can really see the turning point when they believe their dreams are reachable.”
EmployIndy’s goal is that all young adults will understand their potential to excel personally and professionally. With an estimated 30,000 young adults in Marion County who need to reconnect to postsecondary education and better careers, the stakes are high. However, EmployIndy believes that progress has to happen at an individual and granular level, and these nine individuals have begun the journey to improving their lives by learning more about themselves, their passions, and their potential for success.
“I want to recognize all of the Pivot employees: They do such a good job making sure everyone has the resources they need, and you can genuinely tell that they care about you. I know that they don’t have to do what they do and we all really appreciate it,” said Daysha.
The second Power Huddle cohort will last one week and begin on December 3rd. Info sessions will take place November 27th – 30th daily at 11:30am at the Finish Line Boys & Girls Club. Plans are in the works to offer employer tours and invite businesses to come and inform potential participants about their organizational and hiring needs.
For more information about the Pivot Re-Engagement Center or the Power Huddle program, please contact Rodney Francis: [email protected]
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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 $20 million in public, private, and philanthropic funds for both youth and adults annually.
About Boys and Girls Club of Indianapolis Since 1893, Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis have served the Indianapolis community. With five facility-based Clubs and five school-based sites, BGCI serves nearly 7,000 youth annually in the areas of career exploration and educational enhancement, citizenship and leadership, the arts, and health and fitness. For additional information, please call (317) 920-4700 or visit www.BGCINDY.org. Follow Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis @BGCINDY and “Like” us on Facebook at Facebook.com/bgcindy.
About Community Alliance of the Far Eastside (CAFE) CAFE’s mission is to offer direct aid to residents of the Far Eastside who are in desperate need. CAFE offers programming that supports youth and seniors alike, all with a continued focus on improving the quality of life for those who live, work and worship in the Far Eastside community. One of CAFE’s leading programs is their Center for Working Families, which helps transition families from living paycheck to paycheck to investing in their future – not only getting a job, but a career; not only meeting expenses, but saving for their first home.
Pivot, Power Huddle, and EmployIndy staff
Cohort 1 with shoes provided by Finish Line
Cohort 1 finding out about Kanye shoes from Finish Line
Ashayla Spearman
Cameron Kimmons
Daysha Beck
Dezmond Johnson
Jayden Dixon
Jeffery Ezel
Richard Berry
Tamia McNary
This week celebrates and acknowledges the advantages of apprenticeship in preparing a skilled workforce as National Apprenticeship Week, during a season when we annually reflect on appreciation and thankfulness. For these reasons, EmployIndy would like to dedicate our November newsletter to acknowledging the employer leaders of our community who invest in the continuum of work-based learning for youth and adults alike.
JAG students explore AT&T on a business tour
Learners and workers of all ages benefit from the exposure and engagement that work-based learning offers through exploration like job shadowing and business tours, development of soft skills through youth employment, and career pathway advancement through apprenticeship and on-the-job training.
EmployIndy is grateful to the organizations listed below who have invested in preparing students and workers for careers across diverse industries through programs like Project Indy, Jobs for America’s Graduates, Employ Up, and more.
Employers interested in learning more about how to engage in preparing talent by providing work experience or work-based training can learn more and connect to our Business Partnerships professionals here.
1st Maker Space, LLC
21st Century Scholars/Commission on Higher Education
250ok
317Grow LLC
A Classic Party Rental
A&I Variety Meats and Produce
AAR Corp.
AccelaWork
Act Six
Adult & Child
Allied Solutions, LLC
Allied Universal
Ambassadors of Hope
Anderson University
Aprimo
Army National Guard
Asante Children’s Theater
AT&T
Aubry Lane
Avian Exotic Animal Clinic
Axia Technology Partners
B & W Plumbing & Heating Co., Inc.
Ball State University
Bethel Family Worship Center
Biltwell Event Center & Hoaglin Catering
Bitwise Solutions, Inc.
BoxCrush, Inc
Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis
BrightView Landscape Services LLC
Brightwood Community Center
Brookside Community Development Center
Build Your Future Indiana
Butler University
C&W Commercial Cleaning LLC
Caplinger’s Fresh Catch Seafood Market
Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation
Carpenters Union
CECO Environmental – Dean Pump
Center for Leadership Development
Center of Wellness for Urban Women
Central State University
Certell
Christ Temple Christian Academy
Christel House Schools
Christian Theological Seminary
CICOA Aging and In-Home Solutions
Cindy’s Center for Young Learners
City of Indianapolis
Clean for Green
Clear View Products LLC
Clothing Store
Cloud City Youth
Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated
ComForCare Home Care
Commercial Glass LLC
Community Action of Greater Indianapolis, Inc.
Community Alliance of the Far Eastside, Inc. (CAFE)
Community Health Network
Conexus Indiana
Continental Inc
Crew Carwash
Crossroads Education, LLC
CSpring
Cunningham Restaurant Group
Custom Exteriors, Inc.
D1 The Factory
Decatur Central High School
Decatur Township
Decatur Township Fire Department
Decatur Veterinary Clinic
Deck, LLC
DELTA Services, Inc.
Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana
Domestic Violence Network
Dove House
Dr. Rob Bell
Duke Training Institute
Dungarvin
Early Learning Indiana
Edna Martin Christian Center
Electrician’s Union
Eleven Fifty Academy
Elite Senior Living
Elwood Staffing Services Inc.
Empire Beauty School
EmployBridge
Eric Jones Jr. Speaks
Eskenazi Health
Eway Foundation Inc.
Exploring
Fairbanks Hospital
Faith & Goodness – McDonalds Corp
Fanimation, Inc.
Fastenal
FatStax
Faye Biccard Glick Neighborhood Center
FedEx
FedEx Express
FedEx Ground
Finish Line
First Call Staffing
Five Star Hospitality And Event Staffing
Flanner House
Franciscan Health Central Indiana
Franklin College
Franklin University
Freewheelin’
Funtime entertainment
Furtrieve
Genesys
Geodis
George Washington Community High School
Girl Scouts of Central Indiana
Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana, Inc.
Greenix Pest Control
Greenlight Guru
Groundwork Indy
Habitat for Humanity of Indiana
hc1
Health & Hospital Corp. of Marion County
Health & Science Innovations
Herron Morton Organics
High School Construction Roundtable
Horizons at St. Richard’s Episcopal School
IBEW 481
Iconic Digital Marketing
Ideavize
iLAB
In Search of Technology
IN-KY-OH Regional Council of Carpenters
Indiana Black Expo, Inc.
Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD)
Indiana Latino Institute
Indiana Math and Science Academy North
Indiana Philanthropy Alliance
Indiana Plan
Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center
Indiana State University
Indiana Tech
Indiana University
Indianapolis Bar Association
Indianapolis Fire Department
Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Marion County Building Authority
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis Public Library
Indianapolis Public Schools
Indianapolis Zoo
Indy Imaging, Inc.
Indy Parks & Recreation
IndyGo
IndyHumane
Innovate WithIN
Insanitek Research and Development
International Business College
InvestEd
IPATH
IUPUI
Ivy Tech Community College
iwis drive systems, LLC
Jameson Camp
Jersey Mike’s Subs
JobsCorp
Jockamo Upper Crust Pizza
John Boner Neighborhood Centers
Juice Bar
Junior Achievement of Central Indiana, Inc.
Just Shred
JVM Realty
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc.
Kelly Services
Krieg DeVault
Kroger
LEI Home Enhancements
LandWorx Engineering
Level 365
LGC Hospitality Staffing
Lincoln Tech
Little Caesars Pizza
LSC Communications
Luna Language Services
Mainscape Inc
Marion County Commission on Youth
Marion County Sheriff’s Office
Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center
Matchbook Creative
MBC Staffing
McDonald’s
Medxcel
Methodist Sports Medicine
Metropolitan Indianapolis Central Indiana Area Health Education Center
Mike Green Lawn Care
Minority Health Coalition of Marion County
Minority Tobacco Awareness
Monarch Beverage Company & EF Transit
Netlink Inc
New Beginnings Computer Training
NorthCentral High School
Office of Congressman Andre Carson
Omni Severin Hotel
Overdose Lifeline
PACE, Inc.
Pacers Sports & Entertainment
Pathway Resource Center
Peace Learning Center
Peerview Data
Planned Parenthood
PNC Financial Services Group
Portillo’s Restaurant
Powderkeg
Professional Staff Management, Inc.
Progressive Design Apparel
Purdue University and Purdue Extension
Rahvy R. Murray Insurance Agency, Inc. (State Farm)
RCR Technology
Reach for Youth
Regions Bank
Saddlebrook Golf Club
Safe Recruiter Solutions
Securitas Security Company
Serve Indiana/Public Allies
Sharpen Technologies
Sheraton Circle Centre
Silverback
Site Strategics
Six Feet Up
Southeast Community Services
SouthPaw Catering
Spaceport Indiana
Spherion Staffing
SpringHill
St. Vincent Hospital
Starbucks
State Farm
Stop the Violence Indianapolis
Subway restaurant
Suzy Q Cleaning Service LLC
Synapse Sitters
Tangram Business Resourcing
Tea’s Me Cafe Indy
Tear Down the Walls Ministries Inc
TeenWorks
THA Construction
The Added Touch, inc
The Blakley Corporation
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
The Consultants Consortium, Inc.
The Exhibit House
The Greek Islands
The Indianapolis Airport Authority
The Job Center Staffing
The Riviera Club
The Start Up Ladies
The Westin Indianapolis
Theoris Services
Todah
Tonic Ideas
Trusty Applications
Two Men And A Truck
Two3Mentality, LLC
U Pull & Pay
U.S. Army National Guard
U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion – Indianapolis
U.S. Department of Agriculture/Risk Management Agency
U.S. Marines
U.S. Navy
UJIMA Community Services
United Way of Central Indiana, Inc.
University Learning Center
University of Evansville
University of Indianapolis
University of Southern Indiana
UPS
VA Hospital
Valley Mills Elementary School
VeriCite
Vincennes University
VirtusaPolaris
Vocational Rehabilitation
Voyant Solutions
Walmart
Washington Township
Watch Me Grow Childcare
Westminster Neighborhood Services
Whalen Realty Group
White Castle
WorkHere
World Changers School of the Arts
YMCA of Greater Indianapolis
Youth Philanthropy Initiative of Indiana
Zion Hill M. B. Church, Inc.
Zoë Facility Services
EmployIndy partners with Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) on several of workforce-ready initiatives. This partnership aims to break down barriers and make it possible for all individuals to receive adult basic education and actively enroll in a variety of training programs in order to further their skill set. Five years ago, the state General Assembly unanimously passed a bill to shift adult education to DWD, a move aimed to address both the recession and the looming talent gap that Indiana was facing.
At the Indiana Statehouse today WorkINdiana celebrated 6,000 completions and 5,000 certifications in five years.
Speaking at the event was EmployIndy COO Marie Mackintosh, Associate COO of Adult Education with the Department of Workforce Development Marilyn Pitzulo, and Ivy Tech’s Madison Campus Chancellor Molly Dodge. They provided background on WorkINdiana and the dynamic shift to focusing on industry-recognized credentials so adult education could be seen as a stepping stone toward a career.
“Our vision was to serve students at any time, any place, at any pace.”
Marie Mackintosh, EmployIndy Chief Operations Officer
Then they passed the mic to three WorkINdiana participants: Brittany Young, Paul Powell, and Sarah White. These individuals shared their personal journeys and talked about where they are now because of the opportunities gained through WorkINdiana.
Brittany Young attributes her confidence to the people who helped her along the way. “I developed relationships and gained emotional support all through this program.” As a 2014 WorkINdiana participant from southern Indiana, she completed entry welder training and landed a job at Vehicle Service Group as a Cell Coordinator.
Paul Powell, a 2018 participant from Indianapolis, talks about quick results. “It is good to know that [WorkOne Indy] showed up when I needed it.” All within 6 months, he obtained his HSE, CDL-A certification, and started work at Eby-Brown as a CDL driver.
Sarah White spoke to the 3 month Medical Assistant training she completed right out of high school in 2018. “It was a jumpstart to my career.” She is currently at Greene County Hospital where she is employed as a certified Clinical Medical Assistant.
WorkINdiana is just one of many ways that EmployIndy is working to skill-up Marion County’s workforce. Recently, EmployIndy was awarded $125,000 of Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding from DWD in order to remove barriers for employers, service providers, and job seekers alike. This funding will give service providers the tools they need to knowledgeably serve the adult population and provide opportunities for them to skill-up into the jobs within Indianapolis’ high-demand industries, providing a workforce-ready population for the future of Marion County and local employers.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – November 15, 2018 – EmployIndy, the entity overseeing Marion County’s workforce initiatives, recently received a $125,000 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grant from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) to continue building out a training model and implement an online portal and learning management system for all workforce development professionals.
“These funds will afford EmployIndy the ability to ensure that frontline staff have the tools and training they need to more effectively provide services to residents,” said Angela Carr Klitzsch, president and CEO of EmployIndy. “Our plan includes the development of online and in-person training that align with both nationally recognized and local best practices, fostering a system of improved impact and consistency among all service providers.”
By providing this tool, EmployIndy is having a direct impact on both employers and job seekers. The vision is that service providers will now be equally equipped to assist residents in filling the talent gaps needed for the high-demand industries.
“Marion County employers and residents alike will see the benefits of this grant, as it will help career navigators throughout the workforce development ecosystem better prepare individuals for the in-demand jobs of today’s market,” said Bill Turner, chairman of EmployIndy.
With a mission to improve and grow Indiana’s regional workforce, DWD awarded a total of $1.5 million in grants to Indiana’s twelve Workforce Development Boards.
“We wanted to invest this money in local communities to address each of their unique challenges,” DWD Commissioner Fred Payne said. “It’s an important tool in helping more Hoosiers enter the workforce.”
This WIOA funding is used to tackle current regional workforce issues and utilize preventative methods so that the issues of today will not arise in the future. Each proposal focused on improving the workforce operations of that region in alignment with Gov. Eric Holcomb’s and DWD’s objectives.
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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 $20 million in public, private and philanthropic funds for both youth and adults annually.
About the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act WIOA was enacted in 2014 and replaced the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. It is designed to strengthen and improve the nation’s public workforce system and help get American citizens, including youth and those with significant barriers to employment, into high-quality jobs and careers.
About Indiana Department of Workforce Development DWD serves the worker and the employer to ensure workplace success. DWD is committed to innovating and invigorating Indiana’s economic future by providing WorkOne Career Centers, Unemployment Insurance, Labor Market Information, Regional Workforce Strategies and Professional Training. Through these services, DWD is able to develop a premier workforce that enables Indiana employers to flourish and entices businesses from outside our state to relocate to Indiana.
Because transportation can be such a hurdle for workers and job seekers, EmployIndy is sharing this online a series of videos created by a group of graduates from the Indianapolis Bar’s Leaders series, aimed at helping Hoosiers regain their driving privileges. This project is aimed at providing citizens with helpful information on how to read a driving record, and what options are available after your license has been suspended. While these videos do not provide specific legal advice, they are intended to help orient the viewer towards what options are available to get back on the road legally.
How to get a License
Top Ten Reasons for Suspension
How to Read Your Driver Record
Consequences of Suspension
What to Do When You’re Suspended
INDIANAPOLIS – Today, Mayor Joe Hogsett joined leaders from Indy Achieves and Enroll Indy, as well as the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, to announce a unique partnership to streamline the 21st Century Scholars enrollment process for Indianapolis families.
For the first time, families of current 7th and 8th grade students completing Enroll Indy’s OneMatch application will be prompted to sign up for in 21st Century Scholars, a need- based early promise program that provides students up to four years of undergraduate tuition at any participating public college or university in Indiana. In 2017, only 52% of eligible Marion County 8th grade students enrolled in 21st Century Scholars. Hoping to engage more eligible students, this partnership between Indy Achieves and Enroll Indy strives to make the process easier for families.
“Today’s partnership advances the work we have been doing with the Indy Achieves program,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “We understand Indianapolis and its residents greatly benefit when everyone has the opportunity to obtain a quality education. It is my hope that this new partnership will continue to eliminate barriers, and increase our educational attainment rate.”
“Two of Enroll Indy’s core values are equitable access and community partnerships,” noted Enroll Indy Founder and Executive Director, Caitlin Hannon. “We believe that by forging strong partnerships throughout the city, we will reach more families and create more opportunities for all students. By working with Indy Achieves, we hope that families will take advantage of programs that will support their children beyond high school graduation.”
Statewide, 20,000 21st Century Scholars are enrolled in Indiana colleges and more than 100,000 are currently in the pipeline for postsecondary education. “Our most recent data indicate that 82 percent of all 21st Century Scholars go directly to college after completing high school and more Scholars are completing college than ever,” said Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers. “We have seen the success of the program in the lives of graduates and must continue our efforts at the state, county and school levels to enroll all eligible students.”
In addition to the announcement of today’s partnership, Enroll Indy launched Year Two of its OneMatch web-based application process and presented Year One results today. OneMatch serves more than 100 K-12 Indianapolis Public Schools and charter schools, and in its first year, OneMatch received more than 9,000 applications to Indianapolis schools. Students and their families can access applications online today at http://enrollindy.org/onematch/apply/.
Destanie at her childcare job, reading to her young son.
In June of 2018, Destanie was involved in a serious car accident and lost everything due to hospital bills and her lack of income during this period. With a young child, no employment, lack of stable housing, and virtually no support system, Destanie thought she had hit rock-bottom. One day when she was leaving her apartment she met Dian Krueger, a CAFE career and employment coach who was doing community outreach outside of her building. CAFE specifically offers barrier-buster support for individuals who need help reaching their next step, whether that means financing childcare and housing, connecting unemployed residents to job training or counseling, or preventing other barriers to success.
Shortly after meeting Dian and being introduced to CAFE’s education and employment services, Destanie was enrolled in YES Indy, EmployIndy’s Youth Employment System, where she was able to receive assistance and coaching so she could obtain a full-time job. YES Indy providers open doors for opportunity youth, focusing on those located in EmployIndy’s target impact areas, so they can receive barrier-buster support through both career and education guidance.
Not long after joining YES Indy, Destanie was employed at the childcare center where her child was enrolled as part of the Great Families 2020 program. Great Families 2020 is a two-generational approach for quality childcare on the Far Eastside while partnering individuals with a case manager and financial and family supports coaches.
Currently, in addition to being employed at the childcare center, Destanie is enrolled as a part-time student at Ivy Tech Community College where she is pursuing her Associates Degree in Physical Therapy, furthering her previously earned CNA Certification. This opens doors for her to pursue other careers in the healthcare industry and allows her to stand apart from her peers as she moves from a job, to a better job, to a career.
Through partnering with organizations like CAFE, EmployIndy is able to further the workforce and increase economic development in Indianapolis. With EmployIndy’s YES Indy Barrier Busting support, Destanie secured housing. These barrier-buster funds provided a security deposit for her housing, connected her to a paying job, and assisted with childcare. EmployIndy’s support of these programs makes it possible for many individuals just like Destanie to take steps to further their education and career by easing life’s financial burdens.
