EmployIndy announces five-year strategic plan
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – August 16, 2017 – This morning at the Meadows Excel Center, Angela Carr Klitzsch, EmployIndy president and CEO, spoke alongside Mayor Joe Hogsett, Indiana Department of Workforce Development Commissioner Steven Braun, and Michael Huber, president and CEO of the Indy Chamber, to announce EmployIndy’s new strategic plan. The five-year initiative focuses on impacting the quality of life in targeted areas of Marion County, addressing barriers to employment for employers and job seekers, and helping prepare young adults to enter the workforce. After a year-long community-driven strategic planning process led by the Marion County Workforce Development Board, the finalized plan is in place to guide the organization through 2022.
“We are already engaged in actions that directly tie to these strategic goals,” said Angela Carr Klitzsch, “including diversifying our funding, improving our transparency and accountability, and continued responsiveness to workforce needs, such as Carrier and Rexnord.”
These goals stemmed from Mayor Joe Hogsett’s direction in June of last year to target the most disinvested areas of Marion County with meaningful services and focus on those most affected by poverty and unemployment.
“A year ago, I charged EmployIndy with focusing efforts to reach the most underserved populations in our community while working closely with local business leaders to understand their evolving needs – ultimately expanding our city’s potential for growth and success,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “With this strategic plan, EmployIndy will plot a course for significant progress toward this vision, outlining actionable steps that not only benefit employers and job seekers, but the entire Indianapolis community.”
By working with the city and local leaders, EmployIndy will be taking active steps towards building a more equitable approach to workforce development.
“I applaud EmployIndy for its innovative and forward-thinking strategic plan. It’s all about reducing barriers for both individuals and employers to meet and exceed demands for a qualified workforce through partnerships and collaboration.” said DWD Commissioner Steven Braun. “The plan’s specific goals align with DWD’s priorities to effectively develop the workforce, advocate for new programs and funding to support development, provide new opportunities through employer engagement, and to bring together businesses, educational institutions, and community and economic development groups in an employer-driven collaborative environment.”
Despite a low unemployment number, data from local sources, such as indyvitals.org, shows that there is a bigger picture. Many residents have fallen out of the labor force and are not actively seeking jobs. In a city that is expecting to see growth in opportunities in the coming years, there is an urgent need to ensure that these residents have the appropriate skills to seek and fill those jobs.
Angela Carr Klitzsch pointed out “the workforce environment around Indy is much different than it was immediately post-recession, and this plan deliberately updates how EmployIndy can take actions to have the most impact for residents.”
This transformation is not something that occurs overnight and it takes the collaboration of many organizations to implement a plan to work with disinvested residents and guide the workforce. Over the next five years, EmployIndy aims to be a hub of influence throughout Marion County, partnering with the city, community organizations, education providers, and local businesses to impact the future of Indianapolis.
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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 $17 million in public, private and philanthropic funds for both youth and adults annually.
For More Information:
Joe Backe
317.713.7601
jbacke@nullemployindy.org