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 tmurphy@nullemployindy.org to get started!
Hospitality Representatives in Attendance:
Education Providers and K-12 Partners in Attendance:
- Ric Wallace, Transition Resources Corporation, Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG)
- Kalyn Miller, Transition Resources Corporation, JAG
- Tracy Avery, Crispus Attucks High School
- Derrick Barnett, Arsenal Technical High School
- Angela Henry, Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS)
- Alyssa Criswell, Walker Career Center
- Brian Bulmer, Decatur Central High School
- Charlene Williams, North Central High School
- Shannon Fowler, North Central High School
- Lance Garvin, Pike High School
- Ezalea Allen, George Washington High School
- Gary Carter, George Washington High School
- Jaicelyn Eanes-Moffitt, J. Everett Light Career Center
- Chef Daniel Schifano, Area 31 Career Center
- Scott Borah, Area 31 Career Center
Posted on October 17th, 2021 in
Events,
Success Story EmployIndy held an outing for the inaugural cohort of the Modern Apprenticeship program at Victory Field on Thursday, September 30th. Youth Apprenticeship Managers and other EmployIndy staff joined the Youth Apprentices for an Indianapolis Indians game to celebrate the progress of and community within the pilot cohort.
The entire MAP team enjoyed food and drinks before watching the game, giving the Youth Apprentices the opportunity to further connect and share their experiences. Their apprenticeships began at the start of the school year after completing the Summer MAP Bootcamp, where apprentices developed their employability skills and networked with the inaugural cohort.
Ja’Kyra Cox, a junior at George Washington High School, was amongst the Youth Apprentices who attended the game. She is currently an apprentice at Ivy Tech Community College and has thoroughly enjoyed her experience this far, saying her apprenticeship is what she looked forward to the most when starting her day.
Cox also noted how much of a learning experience the Modern Apprenticeship program is. It has been a “challenge” for her to balance both work and school, but the community and opportunities within her apprenticeship have been the best part.
Ramiro Delgado, a junior at Arsenal Technical High School, is apprenticing with Indianapolis Public Schools’ (IPS) building maintenance team. He also attended the game and spoke of his experience as a Youth Apprentice. Delgado noted that the transition from a regular high school student to a MAP participant was difficult at first, but now that he is settled in his position, he really enjoys “fixing technical problems around the local schools.”
Clarissa Hunt of Pike High School is a Youth Apprentice at Pepper Construction and has found her MAP experience to be very enriching thus far. She said, “Not only do I love this program, but I am learning skills and tools I can actually use in a job.” Kinaya Hines, a junior from North Central High School and a Youth Apprentice at Roche Diagnostics, echoed Hunt’s words, also noting that her apprenticeship has really taught her the importance of responsibility and communication.
Modern Apprenticeship is an integral program of Talent Bound, EmployIndy’s work-based learning initiative that supports young people throughout Marion County (both in school and out) as they investigate different career pathways and are exposed to local employers in the workforce. Dr. Mechelle Polter, Director of Talent Bound, joined the Youth Apprentices at the Indians Game.
“The best part of this outing was sitting at the table chatting with the apprentices about their experiences,” said Polter. “Talking to them in a casual setting really brought life to the program we have spent so much time to build.”
The Youth Apprentices who joined the MAP team for the Indianapolis Indians game collectively recommended the Modern Apprenticeship program. Melanie Garcia, an apprentice with the K-12 and Postsecondary team at EmployIndy where she directly works with K-12 programs, noted that Modern Apprenticeship, “. . is an opportunity that upcoming high school juniors do not want to miss!”
The Modern Apprenticeship program combines work-based learning and the traditional classroom curriculum to fortify the skills and experiences young people need to succeed in the modern world of work.
“The Apprentices are so excited and motivated by what they are doing. One apprentice said how much he enjoyed learning not just behind a desk,” said Polter.
