On Wednesday, November 2nd, 72 JAG students gathered at the Indianapolis National Guard Armory for the 2022 Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) Indy Leadership Development Conference (LDC), supported by over 30 staff members from JAG, EmployIndy and the National Guard. JAG is a state-affiliated program based on a national model, available to juniors and seniors in high school that teaches resume building, career exploration and creates available tools for students to explore different curricula. The LDC is an event for JAG Chapter Officers to attend Career Association training, serving as a hands-on method to display and acquire team building, leadership and employability skills. The LDC also offers students a broader perspective on their involvement in the Regional, State, and National network of JAG programs and partners.
The LDC provided JAG students with the opportunity to engage in teachings and activities to build their teamwork and independent skills together. “It was nice meeting new people and, overall, my favorite part about the LDC was being an emcee and being able to enjoy the activities!” said Decatur Central High School Senior Eleny, who emceed the event.
Every year JAG allows 4 students from each of the 19 JAG Indy programs to attend the LDC and this year JAG students were tested with physical, mental, and problem-solving tasks throughout the event. “Throughout the day, you will be challenged to think outside the box, work as a team, meet new people and expand your comfort zone,” said Crispus Attucks JAG alum James Vann-Mincy, who also emceed the event.
During the event, JAG students were honored with inspiring words from key guest speaker House District 98, Representative Robin Shackleford who spoke about her journey and being a leader of change.
On Wednesday, October 5th, EmployIndy and Ascend Indiana gathered at OneAmerica for the Modern Apprenticeship Employer Info Session + Breakfast. Nearly 40 businesses were represented at the event as the event kicked off employer recruitment for the third cohort of Marion County’s Modern Apprenticeship program.
Modern Apprenticeship (MAP) is a 3-year work-based learning program that begins during a student’s junior year in high school. The program offers students paid employment, which is critical to making the program a sustainable solution to address inequity in Marion County. Students also participate in on-the-job learning that contributes to actual job tasks and aligns with role competencies and related academics. When students graduate from the Modern Apprenticeship program, they earn industry credentials as well as transferable college credit that not only offer tangible skills during their apprenticeship but will stay with them throughout the duration of their careers,
“Modern Apprenticeship brings together employers, students, and educators to build a sustainable employment pipeline,” says Marie Mackintosh, Chief Strategy Officer at EmployIndy. “These pipelines address employer talent challenges, create a path for student work experience, and provide industry input into education standards and curriculum.”
Additionally, Modern Apprenticeship registers apprenticeship experiences with the U.S Department of Labor via Register Apprenticeship programs (RAPs). RAPs enable more employers to participate in apprenticeships while, simultaneously, increasing their access to quality talent pools.
Businesses struggle to find the talent they need in today’s world of work, yet, at the same time, postsecondary graduation rates are declining, and young people are searching for quality jobs without the credentials or skills to be successful. Over ¾ of Indiana’s employers cannot find qualified candidates for their open positions.
These talent challenges were addressed by a panel of business leaders at the event, including Ayaz Malik, Group Marketing Manager, Digital Strategy at Roche Diagnostics; Michelle Mitchell, National Manager, Early Talent Development at Ascension; Eduardo Nieto, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director at OneAmerica; and Mario Rodriguez, Executive Director of the Indianapolis Airport Authority. The panel was moderated by Jay Styles, Senior Director of Business Partnerships at EmployIndy.
“The healthcare industry is having a great challenge in only finding highly qualified talent, but retaining them as well. All of the Marion County healthcare systems are competing for the same, small supply of candidates,” says Michelle Mitchell, National Manager of Early Talent Development at Ascension. “Ascension has had to rethink how we have defined and pursued talent, and the Modern Apprenticeship program has helped us to create a custom talent pipeline where students are actually looking to create a career.”
The Modern Apprenticeship program also furthers crucial diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts as 90% of our current Youth Apprentice are people of color and/or female-identifying. This statistic, alone, defies the perceptions of traditional apprenticeships and speaks to the diverse talent available within our own community.
“Traditionally, the financial services industry is dominated by only a particular demographic,” says Eduardo Nieto, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director at OneAmerica. “Modern Apprenticeship has helped us expand and go beyond the traditional hires we normally have and diversify the talent in our workplace.”
Modern Apprenticeship works as a talent solution for businesses of all sizes as apprentices are able to develop on-the-job skills that are tailored to the company’s needs. Employers are able to develop their own, diverse talent and create opportunities for growth while engaging young people and improving retention by investing in a new way of learning.
“The Modern Apprenticeship program has found a lot of success in giving young leaders within an organization the opportunity to manage apprentices. It is a great way to grow the next generation of leaders within a company,” says Stephanie Bothun, Vice President & Co-founder of Ascend Indiana. “And there’s no better time than now to join Modern Apprenticeship.”
Interested in becoming a Modern Apprenticeship employer? Email [email protected] to begin your organization’s journey with Youth Apprenticeship today!
The Ironworkers brought a column with them to the Talent Bound event, the real-life application of which is to provide journey-persons the ability to install bolts and beams at height for taller buildings, according to Ironworkers Local 22 Union Apprenticeship Coordinator and President, Ken Haggard. Haggard was on-site at Let’s Build and has 18 years of experience in the industry. As Haggard described the work, “We put everything up so others have something to attach to.”
The Ironworkers’ booth attracted a steady line of students—and even EmployIndy President and CEO, Angela Carr Klitzsch, who made an appearance and demonstrated some impressive climbing skills of her own. Students who had an interest in climbing the column were able to hook in and test their courage and strength.
Between fully-trained and certified journeymen and women and those who are in training, there are about 900 Ironworkers in Indianapolis with plenty of space for more. Most Ironworkers start with a four-year apprenticeship that partners with Ivy Tech, in which participants earn an Associate of Applied Science in Technology while learning all aspects of welding along the way.
For the Ironworkers, no experience is expected or required on the front end, and applications for the three or four annual cohorts are considered all year long. Upon beginning the program, apprentices earn $20.54 an hour (plus a generous array of benefits) while working for one of the 70 or so contractors with whom Ironworkers partners. That hourly wage increases to $34.24 once the apprenticeship is completed.
The Ironworkers were not the only engaging booth at Let’s Build. The membership-based Indiana Society of Professional Land Surveyors were also represented at the event and grabbed student attention with their university-built, virtual sandbox, the elements of which can be shifted around to create topographical features such as hills, valleys, and bodies of water.
Surveyors, according to Rodney Kelly, the Director of Survey Services at the Good Wages Initiative-certified Etica Group—are “expert measurers.” The measurements are then used to create maps, which are used for a number of purposes within the engineering and construction fields.
On Wednesday, July 13, over 400 students from Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) gathered at Arsenal Technical High School to participate in the inaugural LET’S BUILD! event. Formed in partnership between EmployIndy’s Talent Bound, Built to Succeed (Indiana Careers in Construction), and IPS, LET’S BUILD! is a one-day construction camp that brought together all 14 union building trades in Marion County to offer hands-on activities and further career exposure opportunities for rising 9th graders, students who are soon entering high school.
“This event was really special as it was the culmination of the Talent Bound’s work over this last year in the K-8 space with IPS where our focus was exposing students to the building and construction trades,” said Mechelle Polter, Senior Director of Talent Bound. “Today, students got to take the next step and apply what they’ve learned through hands-on activities.” As students engaged with various building trades employers and unions, they had the opportunity to interact with industry models as well as real-world scenarios such as masonry work, climbing a steel beam while harnessed, and more.
Talent Bound is EmployIndy’s vehicle to provide students in Marion County with access to authentic work-based learning experiences, leveraging EmployIndy’s network of engaged businesses to provide activities that increase informed decision making and develop the critical skills needed to succeed in the future of work. During the 2021-22 academic year, over 21,800 work-based learning experiences were provided to Marion County students through Talent Bound.
Work-based learning occurs as a continuum of growth for students and Talent Bound offers activities along three phases of that continuum to build their knowledge: career exposure, career engagement, and career experience. Considered a Talent Challenge, the LET’S BUILD! event took the previous career exposure work to the next level through providing the hands-on experiences.
“The Let’s Build trades fair was an excellent opportunity for our incoming freshmen to gain hands-on experience and inspiration,” said Mel Coryell, Director of Academies and Pathways at IPS. “Our vision is for all IPS graduates to have a plan for and be prepared for a fulfilling future, and engaging with community partners and employers in this way is an essential step towards that vision.” Participating IPS schools included: Arsenal Technical High School, Crispus Attucks High School, George Washington High School, and Shortridge High School.
While students were getting their hands dirty and learning about available careers in the construction industry, local employers were working to build new talent pipelines by putting their industry in front of young adults who are eager to find their path.
“The LET’S BUILD! Construction Camp was a huge success and is an example of the growing relationship between the ICCA and EmployIndy’s Talent Bound program,” said Lynn Busby, Director of Community Outreach at Indiana Careers in Construction. “These events are important in supporting the union construction industry as employers get a chance to create industry exposure and develop new avenues for finding talent.”
The following organizations participated in the event by providing hands-on experiences for the students:
Bricklayers & Allied Craft Workers Local 4 (BAC4)
Harmon Construction Inc.
Harmon Steel Inc.
Indiana Kentucky Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters (IKORCC)
Indiana Society of Professional Land Surveyors
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 481 (IBEW)
International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 34
Ironworkers Local 22
Laborers International Union of North America Local 120 (LiUna)
North Mechanical Contracting & Service
Pepper Construction Company of Indiana LLC
Sisters in the Brotherhood (IKORCC)
Taylor Brother Construction Company Inc.
UA Local 440 Plumbers, Steamfitters, & HVACR Service Technicians
To learn more about available Talent Bound activities that help employers engage with students, visit https://www.talentbound.org.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind (June 25, 2022) – This morning at Ivy Tech Community College – Indianapolis, 37 Central Indiana high school sophomores signed the Modern Apprenticeship certificate of acceptance to work as apprentices for 29 local employer partners*, launching the second cohort of EmployIndy’s Central Indiana youth apprenticeship program.
Modern Apprenticeship is a three-year program that offers many pathways to success by ensuring Central Indiana high school students have the fundamental skills they need to thrive in growing 21st-century industries like financial services, business operations, healthcare, information technology, and more. 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.
The Modern Apprenticeship program is the highest-caliber experience offered through Talent Bound, EmployIndy’s work-based learning continuum that connects Marion County students to local employers, ensuring that the young adults in the Indianapolis area are empowered to discover their passions and strengths while learning the needs of today’s workforce. Youth apprenticeships prepare students for their future by providing them with in-demand skills and relevant job experience so they can thrive in a fast-changing job market.
“Modern Apprenticeship has placed nearly 40 youth apprentices to date, with the goal of connecting 60 apprentices to employers by the fall,” says Marie Mackintosh, chief strategy officer at EmployIndy. “We are so excited to watch Cohort two grow as each apprentice enters into this next chapter of their personal and professional life.”
These apprentices were chosen from over 100 applicants to join the students already participating in Modern Apprenticeship. Beginning their junior year of high school, apprentices split their time between the classroom and the workplace. Upon completion of the Modern Apprenticeship program, these apprentices will earn a high school diploma, college credits, and an industry-recognized credential while obtaining invaluable social capital that multiplies their professional and personal postsecondary options.
“Alongside Modern Apprenticeship, Ascend convenes a Youth Apprenticeship Community of Practice, which consists of 60 organizations and serves to identify barriers to starting and scaling modern youth apprenticeship programs statewide,” says Stephanie Bothun, vice president of consulting at Ascend Indiana. “Together with EmployIndy, we are opening doors for Indiana students to education and career pathways that will lead to good jobs for their future, while also creating a new talent pipeline for employers.”
Modern Apprenticeship’s 2022 Signing Day signifies the beginning of the apprentice and employer journey as they signed a formal certificate of acceptance. As part of this commitment, the employer will mentor and support the student as they navigate an in-demand role within the respective organization. Through their participation in Modern Apprenticeship, these employers have signaled a strong commitment to being co-producers of talent alongside education partners.
“The typical four-year degree is a good pathway for some, but Indiana is home to many other forms of higher education that provide more equitable options to achieve a postsecondary degree or credential,” says Chris Lowery, commissioner at the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. “The skills that young people learn through apprenticeship go beyond that of a classroom to provide real-world experience in high-demand industries and roles. These experiences will strengthen their statures as accomplished candidates for the in-demand jobs of the future.”
As a talent strategy, Modern Apprenticeship helps employers tap into diverse pools of young talent and build strong talent pipelines to meet their short- and long-term staffing needs. The program creates a structure for employers to be part of workforce solutions while removing barriers so that all Marion County students have equitable access to career-ready training and jobs in high-demand fields. Young talent is able to enrich their career-ready skills and job experience while, simultaneously, allowing businesses to identify, train, and retain job candidates as they progress from entry-level jobs to highly skilled positions.
EmployIndy guides the local workforce ecosystem and makes strategic investments to remove barriers to quality employment for underserved and underrepresented residents. Our vision is for all Marion County residents to have access to services and training necessary to secure a livable wage and grow in a career that meets employer demand for talent. As the workforce development board for Marion County, guided by 26 business, civic, education, and nonprofit community leaders, EmployIndy invests over $20 million in public, private and philanthropic funds for both youth and adults annually. Learn more at employindy.org.
About Ascend Indiana
An initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), Ascend Indiana is committed to making Indiana a place of economic opportunity for all. Ascend connects job seekers to good and promising career opportunities through an innovative job-matching platform, the Ascend Network; catalyzes partnerships and provides consulting services to meet high-demand workforce needs through Ascend Services; and conducts research through Ascend Insights to enable systems-level change that positively impacts individuals throughout the state. To learn more, visit ascendindiana.com.
On Tuesday, June 14th, over 60 students, family, and friends gathered at the Indianapolis Zoo for the 2022 Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) Senior Send-Off, which honors Marion County JAG students for completing programming during the 2021-22 school year. JAG is a state-affiliated program based on a national model, available to juniors and seniors in high school that teaches them resume building, career exploration, and creates available tools for students to explore different curricula. JAG’s mission is to keep young people in school through graduation and provide work-based learning experiences that will lead to career advancement opportunities, or to enroll in a postsecondary institution that leads to a rewarding career.
“We are thrilled to honor the graduating JAG class of 2022,” said Beth Bowling, Director of K-12 at EmployIndy. “These students have persisted in overcoming more challenges than generations of students before them. We can’t wait to see the exciting achievements we know this class will complete by reaching the academic and career goals they established through JAG.”
The Senior Send-Off also provided Marion County JAG students with the opportunity to participate in prize raffles and further connect with their assigned JAG specialist. All enrolled JAG students are provided a specialist to help them work towards removing educational barriers that may prevent them from graduating or pursuing a particular post-secondary or employment pathway after high school.
“One of the great parts of JAG is the follow-up support,” said Crispus Attucks JAG senior James Vann-Mincy, who also emceed the event. For a full year after graduation, JAG students receive support and contact from their specialists and the JAG team, to offer assistance as they transition into the workforce and/or elect to further their education.
During the event, two JAG seniors were honored with the Jessica Brown Memorial JAG Award. DaShaun Russell from True North Academy and Nevaeh Smith from Shortridge High School received this distinction, which recognizes excellence throughout the program year and offers a $1,000 award from EmployIndy to help them continue in their academic and career goals.
EmployIndy Business Development Manager Tracy Hartman secured a booth for the EmployIndy Business Partnerships team at the recent Indiana Mineral Aggregate Association (IMAA) winter trade show at Indianapolis’s JW Marriott on January 31 and February 1 of 2022.
In existence since 1934 and a supporter of Women Leaders in Mining & Aggregates (WLMA), “The purpose of the Indiana Mineral Aggregates Association,” according to its website, “is to solve common problems of the Indiana aggregate producing industry, principally in the areas of specifications for aggregates, mine safety, and reclamation, air and water pollution, legislation, research for improvements in aggregates used, increased public awareness of the importance of aggregate products in their daily lives, and broadening the use and application of aggregates in Indiana.”
Aggregates are minerals, gravel, sand, slag, and broken or crushed stone, the likes of which “are essential construction materials for residential and commercial development, as well as for improvements to infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, dams, hospitals, schools, and water/sewer systems.” For EmployIndy’s interests, these industries “employ approximately 2,300 workers” across the state, and—according to, again, the website, “pay almost $100 million in wages.”
“We spoke to multiple organizations located in Indianapolis and surrounding counties and were also able to turn the event into a great team-building exercise,” Hartman said.
Hartman in particular could be seen enticing attendees to the swag-filled EmployIndy booth and adding to the team’s fun with a trick of her own: brownie delivery, as cool and efficient as the best restaurant workers in Indianapolis.
Other EmployIndy attendees included Business Development Managers Connie Harris and Wendy Parker, as well as Account Managers Trish McDonald and Chris Schumerth.
The business partnerships team was able to connect with a number of organizations that included but were not limited to the following:
Martin Marietta
Irving Material
General Drilling, Inc.
MacAllister Machinery Co., Inc.
Brandeis Machinery & Supply Company
US Aggregates
Xylem
Rudd Equipment Company
Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc.
IMAA Executive Director Calvin Lee was one who wandered over to the EmployIndy table with some intentionality, wondering if and how EmployIndy may be able to help his organization identify worthy recipients for the IMAA scholarship program.
A discussion also transpired around how EmployIndy might be able to occupy some space in the IMAA quarterly newspaper in the near future. The groundwork has been set for even for partnership across Marion County.
To request EmployIndy’s participation in your next workforce development event or to learn more about how your organization can partner with EmployIndy, visitemployindy.org/business-partnerships.
2022 Regional JAG Career Development Conference celebrates high school student’s career readiness and employability skills development
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – February 23, 2022 – Yesterday afternoon, the Regional Jobs for America’s Graduates Career Development Conference took place virtually, showcasing the skills that Marion County students have learned throughout their time in the Job for America’s Graduates (JAG) program. Jobs for America’s Graduates is a program for high school juniors and seniors that helps arm them with the career development and employability skills to be successful after high school – whether they choose to pursue a postsecondary degree, a credential or enter the workforce. This annual conference provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate their career readiness skills, in a competition format, that they learn throughout the school year.
“We are so proud of our students who have worked so hard to build important career readiness skills that will help them succeed in the future,” said Erika Cheney, Vice President of K-12 at EmployIndy. “While we would love to be in person today rather than virtual, we know that this opportunity to showcase their skills is still so important to their development.”
During the 2021-2022 school year, JAG served 807 students in 15 Indianapolis area schools. Traditionally, the Regional JAG Career Development Conference would be a full-day in-person event, with over a hundred student participants demonstrating career readiness skills in front of dozens of volunteer judges. Competitions include critical thinking, financial literacy, employability skills, entrepreneurship, public speaking, outstanding seniors, and more.
“It is incredible to see the confidence and desire on display during this competition,” said Angela Carr Klitzsch, President & CEO of EmployIndy. “These young people are learning essential employability skills that will last them far beyond high school and prepare them to be a successful employee and addition to the workforce.”
Among the various competitions and student displays, this year’s event welcomed keynote speaker Flora Jones, Director of Student Pathways at the Indiana Department of Education, as well as a host of sponsors who made this event possible.
James Vann-Mincy, Jr., Crispus Attucks High School
Joselyn Mejia, Shortridge High School
Creative Solutions:
Larry Long, Decatur Central High School 2
Dekeem Sanders, Decatur Township School for Excellence
Kollin Sweeney, Ben Davis High School 1
Critical Thinking:
Amaya Henry, Shortridge High School
Elijah Reid, Decatur Central High School 2
Prince Ndahiriwe, Decatur Central High School 1
Employability Skills:
Grace Gill, Decatur Central High School 1
Clint Harris, Warren Central High School
Kayana Dickerson, Crispus Attucks High School
Financial Literacy:
Shaniya Stanford, Decatur Central High School 2
Hailey Wood, Decatur Central High School 1
Ciarra Searcy, Crispus Attucks High School
Public Speaking:
Kameron Durham, Shortridge High School
Sarah Bennett, Southport High School
Basra Isaack, Decatur Central High School 2
Writing Skills:
Amonn Burns, George Washington High School
Malachi Flournoy, Shortridge High School
Isioma Dumbili, Crispus Attucks High School
Outstanding Seniors:
Nevaeh Smith, Shortridge High School
Emily Baca-Stewart, George Washington High School
Sharon Oyatayo, Decatur Central High School 2
About EmployIndy
EmployIndy guides the local workforce ecosystem and makes strategic investments to remove barriers to quality employment for underserved and underrepresented residents. Our vision is for all Marion County residents to have access to services and training necessary to secure a livable wage and grow in a career that meets employer demand for talent. As the workforce development board for Marion County, guided by 24 business, civic, education and nonprofit community leaders, EmployIndy invests $25 million in public, private and philanthropic funds for both youth and adults annually. Learn more at employindy.org.
Through the integration of traditional education, skills enhancement, and innovative on-the-job experiences, EmployIndy is committed to connecting Marion County’s youth with local employers to maximize workplace exposure before entering the workforce. Our organization continues to scale high-quality, career-connected learning by utilizing a variety of collaborative partnerships, programs, and initiatives. One such partnership began in August of 2021 when EmployIndy received a $15,000 grant from Verizon to help connect Marion County students to tech-related opportunities and industry pathways.
This investment offers barrier-busting support for students who face inequitable challenges in accessing career services, such as transportation and food insecurity, and also supports programming for Talent Bound, EmployIndy’s work-based learning initiative. Talent Bound prepares Marion County’s young people for career exploration and engagement while providing opportunities for on-the-job experience and hands-on learning with local employers. The initiative offers targeted services for both Opportunity Youth– young adults, ages 16 to 24, who have disengaged from secondary education or are disconnected from the workforce upon graduation– as well as in-school youth, with programs such Modern Apprenticeship (MAP) and Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG).
The Verizon investment provides an estimated 300 young people participating in either the continuum of Talent Bound activities or in the MAP and JAG programs with bus transportation, lunches, and program swag. This partnership has since extended to panel discussions, site tours, and speaking opportunities. On December 7th, 2021, four representatives from Verizon participated in a panel discussion at Arsenal Technical High School in which they provided an overview of Verizon, its products and services, future careers, and its commitment to supporting local, educational initiatives.
“The Verizon panel was a great experience for students. Students learned that the company is highly diverse, comprised of many divisions, and future career opportunities are endless,” said Derrick Barnett, work-based learning coordinator at Arsenal Technical High School.
During the panel discussion, each representative shared their individual stories of both successes and challenges, beginning with high school and to the present day. 52 Arsenal Tech students– 16 seniors from Computer Science and 36 from freshmen Preparing for College & Careers– were present for this event. Students were very interested in part-time employment opportunities with Verizon; they were also able to network with the Verizon representatives over lunch.
“This panel was a great way for students at Arsenal Tech High School to see the many different opportunities within a tech-related career,” says Matt Simpson, Associate Director of Talent Bound at EmployIndy. “The Verizon employees had varying levels of experience and unique professional journeys, and it was an excellent way to showcase the variety of career pathways available in the tech industry.”
The Verizon panel sparked even more potential opportunities for Verizon to engage with Talent Bound students, including mock interviews, resume writing, job shadowing, and possible field trips to the Verizon corporate office this next semester.
You can learn more about Talent Bound and its opportunities for partnership by visiting www.talentbound.org.
This initiative will help create a Community of Practice committed to learning and working together to increase support for students on the path to postsecondary education
INDIANAPOLIS – 26 January 2022 – Yesterday evening at Ivy Tech Community College – Indianapolis, Indy Achieves, an initiative of Mayor Joe Hogsett launched in 2018, brought together 20 educators from across Marion County to collaborate on the Community of Practice Planning Committee (CPPC), a six-meeting initiative to create a Community of Practice committed to learning and working together to increase support for students on the path to postsecondary education.
“I am eager to see the Community of Practice Planning Committee come together to support the goals of youth in our community,” said Angela Carr Klitzsch, President & CEO of EmployIndy, where Indy Achieves is housed. “The work that Indy Achieves and these dedicated educators do will be invaluable in providing students with the tools to be successful after leaving high school.”
Indy Achieves created the CPPC to jumpstart formal efforts to address challenges of postsecondary success, by bringing together highly qualified educators. To begin this work in Marion County, Indy Achieves invited schools county-wide to apply to the CPPC, offering grants to selected schools for investing into the effort of guiding our students to success after high school graduation. These schools will lay the foundation for an ongoing Community of Practice, a network which strives to have a collective impact on postsecondary attainment in Marion County.
“We are committed to helping each student achieve their aspirations during and after high school. We value the 21st Century Scholarship program and Indy Achieves and the many opportunities they provide our students. We are excited to be a part of the Community of Practice Planning Committee to learn and share best practices, identify barriers, and find solutions that will support all students in Marion County,” said Kara Moreland, College & Careers Administrator at Christel House High School on her school’s acceptance to the CPPC.
Indy Achieves received 21 applications from various schools throughout Marion County. Through the selection process, six high schools and four middle schools were selected to participate, each represented by a school counselor and/or administrator pair. An additional four schools have been invited to participate as observing members. The criteria for selection included past performance on 21st Century Scholars enrollment and Scholar Success Program completion, among other data points.
Through the end of the 2022 school year, six meetings will be held at Ivy Tech Community College – Indianapolis for these educators to share best practices and develop innovative approaches to address the needs of students and their families. Among these discussions, the meetings will also connect educators to resources from community-based organizations, Ivy Tech, and data tools to streamline their efforts. Upon conclusion of the CPPC, the committee will decide on a framework for a permanent Community of Practice to continue and expand their efforts.
“When you bring together individuals who are passionate about seeing all students succeed, it is a win-win! We are thrilled to have representation of districts across Marion County for the CPPC. The innovative ideals and processes that will come from the continued work of the Community of Practice will be key in the success of our students now and to come.” said Esther Woodson, Director of Indy Achieves.
The Community of Practice Planning Committee aims to set the groundwork for sustaining and further building the Community of Practice in 2023, supported by the efforts of local educators and Indy Achieves.
2022 Community of Practice Planning Committee members include:
Indianapolis Public Schools
Longfellow STEM Middle School
Jimmie Ellison, Counselor
Stacy Coleman, Principal
Shortridge High School
Andrea Harris, Counselor
Dennis Thomas, Principal
Mayor’s Sponsored Charter Schools
Victory College Prep
Amber Walker, College & Career Readiness Teacher
Jenna Beck, Asst. Principal
Christel House High School
Kara Moreland, College and Careers Administrator
Paige Pittman, Principal
KIPP Indy Legacy High School
Randi Perry, Director of Counseling and Social Services
MSD of Lawrence Township
Lawrence North High School
Connie Sivertson, School Counselor & Department Leader
Brett Crousore, Principal
Belzer Middle School
Bonita Neal, Counselor
Lukas Muller, Assistant Principal
MSD of Perry Township
Southport High School
Briana Underwood, Counselor
Julie Fierce, Counseling Director
MSD of Washington Township
Northview Middle School
Molly Henry, Professional School Counselor
Jennifer Dodson, District Lead School Counselor, Grades 6-12
MSD of Wayne Township
Ben Davis High School
Sherman Woodard, Guidance Director
Rebecca Daugherty-Saunders, Director of College & Career Readiness
About Indy Achieves
Indy Achieves is a program created by Mayor Joe Hogsett and housed at EmployIndy that aims to ensure that every Indianapolis resident has the ability to complete a postsecondary credential or degree program. To accomplish this, Indy Achieves seeks to increase the number of individuals who apply for existing financial aid programs such as 21st Century Scholars and FAFSA as well as provide Indy Achieves Promise Scholarships and wraparound support services for Marion County students who attend Ivy Tech Indianapolis and IUPUI. Learn more at indyachieves.org.
About EmployIndy
EmployIndy guides the local workforce ecosystem and makes strategic investments to remove barriers to quality employment for underserved and underrepresented residents. Our vision is for all Marion County residents to have access to services and training necessary to secure a livable wage and grow in a career that meets employer demand for talent. As the workforce development board for Marion County, guided by 24 business, civic, education and nonprofit community leaders, EmployIndy invests $20 million in public, private and philanthropic funds for both youth and adults annually. Learn more at employindy.org.
INDIANAPOLIS – 15 December 2021 – On Wednesday morning, EmployIndy and YES Indy gathered at the Finish Line Boys & Girls Club to honor over 40 young people who were recognized for completing the YES Indy Power Huddle program, a two-week job readiness experience where individuals learn how they can change their future trajectory as well as develop a variety of employability skills that will help them map out and work towards reaching their academic, career, and life goals.
Central Indiana is home to over 30,000 Opportunity Youth– young adults, ages 16 to 24, who have disengaged from secondary education or are disconnected from the workforce upon graduation. In efforts to re-engage Marion County’s Opportunity Youth and create a positive trajectory for these young people, EmployIndy launched YES Indy REC in 2018. Shortly thereafter, the Power Huddle was launched as the forward-facing program of YES Indy REC. Since the inception of the Power Huddle program, this is the largest cohort to have completed the program.
“The Power Huddle most definitely gives you more opportunities. The experience helps you understand how to be a good worker and with our mock interviews and other things we did, it helps prepare you for getting a job as well,” Said Jada Webster, an honoree at Wednesday’s event and completer of the Power Huddle program.
Upon completion of the program, participants will be enrolled in YES Indy where they are connected to a career navigator who will offer support and guidance as they enroll in education and training or transition into the workforce. As a part of enrollment within YES Indy, other services are available as well, such as transportation, temporary housing, re-entry services, counseling, and more.
“The growth of the YES Indy network has been instrumental in ensuring we create opportunities to support young people in our community so that they can see a vision for themselves in the future and in the workforce,” said Angela Carr Klitzsch, EmployIndy President & CEO. “Adding the Power Huddle has allowed us to dig deeper with young people and help them realize their dreams and desires.”
In an effort to provide participants with additional pillars of comprehensive wellness, YES Indy launched a partnership with the Fifth Third Foundation through a grant award that expanded the Power Huddle curriculum to include Fifth Third Bank’s Financial Education for High School course as well as opportunities for High School Equivalency/Adult Basic Education courses as a result of their grant award.
“Through the great work of my colleagues and our many community partners, the Power Huddle experience is transforming lives in an inspiring way,” said Rev. Rodney Francis, Chief Programs Officer at EmployIndy. “We’re seeing young adults come in on that first day nearly hopeless, with their heads hanging low, disengaged, disenchanted and disillusioned by their circumstances and lack of opportunities for their lives. But by the end of the two weeks, they are standing before the entire group smiling, heads up, full of hope and proudly presenting vision boards for their lives and futures.”
In addition to honoring participants who completed the Power Huddle program, YES Indy also honored a handful of Marion County youth who completed the EcoLogic Restoration Internship and programming with YouthBuild Indy.
Registrations are currently open for the next YES Indy Power Huddle cohort, which runs from Tuesday, January 18th through Friday, January 28th at the Finish Line Boys & Girls Club on Post Road. To learn more about YES Indy REC and the YES Indy Power Huddle , visit yesindy317.org/power-huddle.
About EmployIndy
EmployIndy guides the local workforce ecosystem and makes strategic investments to remove barriers to quality employment for underserved and underrepresented residents. Our vision is for all Marion County residents to have access to services and training necessary to secure a livable wage and grow in a career that meets employer demand for talent. As the workforce development board for Marion County, guided by 24 business, civic, education and nonprofit community leaders, EmployIndy invests $20 million in public, private and philanthropic funds for both youth and adults annually. Learn more at employindy.org.
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The hospitality industry continues to struggle from the hard-hitting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite businesses reopening, many in the service industries are facing widespread labor shortages that largely affect the ability of employers to return to business as normal. A recent report found that the leisure and service industry continues to lack almost 2.2 million jobs, nearly ⅓ of the total missing occupations in the United States.
Indianapolis’ hospitality industry is facing similar repercussions as businesses fight to recover from the pandemic. Many local hospitality employers began expressing their adverse experiences in navigating recovery to EmployIndy’s Business Partnerships team this past Winter.
The Business Partnerships team fosters collaborative connections with Marion County employers to better understand the barriers they are facing. Simultaneously, the team helps businesses establish organizational best practices to attract, train, and maintain qualified employees. EmployIndy’s business partners receive wrap-around support in establishing comprehensive career pathways that leverage diverse talent from the Indianapolis community, including young adults
“The Business Partnerships team is always looking for new opportunities to bring together our employer and school partners and create mutually beneficial connections that help establish talent pipelines between community businesses and local students,” says Tracy Murphy, EmployIndy’s Associate Director of Business Partnerships.
In order to better support businesses amid the recovery from COVID-19 and the ensuing labor shortage, collaboration between employers in the hospitality industry and those entering the workforce was necessitated. To further these efforts, the Business Partnerships team collaborated with Matt Simpson, the Associate Director of Talent Bound, EmployIndy’s work-based learning initiative that connects employers to educators and students through a variety of career exposure, engagement, and experiential activities.
On Thursday, September 2nd, Murphy and Simpson facilitated a roundtable discussion in coordination with Visit Indy and Indiana Restaurant and Lodging Association (INRLA), The discussion included seven representatives from local hospitality businesses and a variety of EmployIndy’s K-12 and education partners, listed below.
During the hour-long, virtual roundtable, hospitality employers from across Marion County shared their experiences with economic recovery as well as their ideas on possible solutions to local labor shortages, including the establishment of talent pipelines in Indianapolis high schools.
“This discussion was a great opportunity for the hospitality industry to share its hiring needs and for our school partners to gain insight on the available career pathways in Marion County,” says Simpson.
The agenda contained topics such as wage compensation, work hours, available positions, and transportation barriers. Education providers then shared upcoming events as well as specific contact information with the hospitality employers to promote continuing communication. Both parties curated sustainable working relationships, helping students to find employment and hospitality employers to attract and maintain quality workers.
“As the high school representative for Talent Bound, our goal is to expose young people to as many different career pathways as possible throughout their K-12 experiences, helping ensure that they can make an informed career decision when the time comes,” says Simpson. “The roundtable event connected schools interested in establishing partnerships with local employers who are willing to share industry opportunities with students.”
This discussion resulted in numerous opportunities for hospitality representatives to participate in school events such as guest speaking, career days, and organizational tours. Student internship opportunities with local hospitality employers have been introduced as well, launching a solid foundation for the development of future talent pipelines in Marion County. EmployIndy will continue to facilitate the connection and communication between hospitality employers and local schools, offering guidance on how to best engage high schoolers and present career opportunities within the hospitality industry.
Are you an employer interested in connecting with EmployIndy’s Business Partnerships team? Email Tracy Murphy at [email protected] to get started!
Modern Apprenticeship (MAP) is a 3-year work-based learning program that begins during a student’s junior year in high school. The program offers students paid employment, which is critical to making the program a sustainable solution to address inequity in Marion County. Students also participate in on-the-job learning that contributes to actual job tasks and aligns with role competencies and related academics. When students graduate from the Modern Apprenticeship program, they earn industry credentials as well as transferable college credit that not only offer tangible skills during their apprenticeship but will stay with them throughout the duration of their careers,
“This event was really special as it was the culmination of the Talent Bound’s work over this last year in the K-8 space with IPS where our focus was exposing students to the building and construction trades,” said Mechelle Polter, Senior Director of Talent Bound. “Today, students got to take the next step and apply what they’ve learned through hands-on activities.” As students engaged with various building trades employers and unions, they had the opportunity to interact with industry models as well as real-world scenarios such as masonry work, climbing a steel beam while harnessed, and more. 
Work-based learning occurs as a continuum of growth for students and Talent Bound offers 
While students were getting their hands dirty and learning about available careers in the construction industry, local employers were working to build new talent pipelines by putting their industry in front of young adults who are eager to find their path.
“We are thrilled to honor the graduating JAG class of 2022,” said Beth Bowling, Director of K-12 at EmployIndy. “These students have persisted in overcoming more challenges than generations of students before them. We can’t wait to see the exciting achievements we know this class will complete by reaching the academic and career goals they established through JAG.”
During the event, two JAG seniors were honored with the Jessica Brown Memorial JAG Award. DaShaun Russell from True North Academy and Nevaeh Smith from Shortridge High School received this distinction, which recognizes excellence throughout the program year and offers a $1,000 award from EmployIndy to help them continue in their academic and career goals.
“We spoke to multiple organizations located in Indianapolis and surrounding counties and were also able to turn the event into a great team-building exercise,” Hartman said. 
This investment offers barrier-busting support for students who face inequitable challenges in accessing career services, such as transportation and food insecurity, and also supports programming for 
Indy Achieves created the CPPC to jumpstart formal efforts to address challenges of postsecondary success, by bringing together highly qualified educators. To begin this work in Marion County, Indy Achieves invited schools county-wide to apply to the CPPC, offering grants to selected schools for investing into the effort of guiding our students to success after high school graduation. These schools will lay the foundation for an ongoing Community of Practice, a network which strives to have a collective impact on postsecondary attainment in Marion County.
“The Power Huddle most definitely gives you more opportunities. The experience helps you understand how to be a good worker and with our mock interviews and other things we did, it helps prepare you for getting a job as well,” Said Jada Webster, an honoree at Wednesday’s event and completer of the Power Huddle program.
“Through the great work of my colleagues and our many community partners, the Power Huddle experience is transforming lives in an inspiring way,” said Rev. Rodney Francis, Chief Programs Officer at EmployIndy. “We’re seeing young adults come in on that first day nearly hopeless, with their heads hanging low, disengaged, disenchanted and disillusioned by their circumstances and lack of opportunities for their lives. But by the end of the two weeks, they are standing before the entire group smiling, heads up, full of hope and proudly presenting vision boards for their lives and futures.”