More than 2,800 job openings available through a year-round employment platform connecting Indianapolis youth to opportunity
INDIANAPOLIS – March 18, 2026—This morning, Mayor Joe Hogsett, EmployIndy, and employer partner AMC Theatres kicked off the summer hiring season by announcing a hiring event for the movie theatre locations across the city. Project Indy is currently offering 2,894 unique job openings for young people across Marion County, spanning 257 different positions from 174 active local employers. Through its online platform at projectindy.net, young people can easily connect with employers in their community who are hiring.
“With yet another year of Project Indy comes another fantastic opportunity for young people to gain real-life work experience and earn respectable wages,” said Mayor Hogsett. “Not only does this program set them up for success, but it also ensures that they have a safe, productive way to spend their free time this summer. Project Indy represents a win for our youth, the City, and employers across Indianapolis.”
Project Indy was launched in 2016 by Mayor Hogsett alongside EmployIndy, the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee (GIPC), and the Marion County Commission on Youth (MCCOY). Since its launch, 20,656 young people in Marion County have registered on the Project Indy platform to connect with employment opportunities and explore career pathways with local employers. In total, 354 employers have participated in the platform since 2016.
While many people associate Project Indy with summer jobs, the platform operates year-round, connecting young people ages 16–24 with part-time, full-time and seasonal employment opportunities across Marion County.
Youth ages 16–24 can get started using Project Indy’s virtual job board by simply texting “ProjectIndy” to 317-659-9657. This easy-to-use online platform utilizes text messaging to recruit and onboard job seekers. It also includes a location-based tool that works to connect youth to nearby opportunities as well as filtering job opportunities by interest. Once registered, job seekers can easily apply to any of the hundreds of open positions by providing a few pieces of basic information.
By hiring in-school and out-of-school youth throughout Marion County, local employers provide employability skill development and job-readiness training, playing an important role in training our future workforce. Programs like Project Indy also help connect young people to positive opportunities that support long-term success.
“At EmployIndy, our goal is to connect young people to opportunity while helping employers build strong talent pipelines for the future,” said Ken Clark, president and CEO of EmployIndy. “Through Project Indy, young people gain valuable work experience while local employers connect with motivated young talent across our community.”
EmployIndy, which administers Project Indy, will continue promoting the platform through face-to-face recruiting at Indianapolis-area high schools, targeted social media campaigns and participation in youth hiring fairs. The organization also works closely with community organizations and workforce partners to ensure young people across Indianapolis are aware of and able to access available opportunities.
In 2018, EmployIndy, in partnership with the City of Indianapolis and the Indy Chamber, launched Job Ready Indy, an online employability skills program designed to help young people build the workplace skills needed for career success. When an individual completes one of the online courses, a Job Ready Indy badge appears on their Project Indy profile, notifying employers that they have demonstrated key workplace readiness skills.
Employers interested in hiring youth can sign up to be a Project Indy partner through the Project Indy platform.