Posted on June 20th, 2018 in
Organizational Updates 
On June 20, Joyce Irwin, President & CEO of Community HealthNetwork, resigned from her post as EmployIndy's Board Chair. Joyce has been on our board since 2013 and led her last board meeting today. She is an influential leader in our community and to say she has made a positive impact on our organization would be an understatement. Joyce has been a part of the EmployIndy family as she impacted leadership turnover, encouraged organization growth, and facilitated innovative change as we established our Five-Year Strategic Plan, launched in 2017.
In her final board meeting, Mayor Joe Hogsett granted June 20 as Indianapolis' “Joyce Irwin Day,” recognizing the influence she has had on Marion County's workforce and throughout the Indianapolis community. Thank you, Joyce, for your support and we wish you the best on all your future endeavors!
INDIANAPOLIS – Following bipartisan approval of initial program funding by the City-County Council last night, Mayor Joe Hogsett announced the appointment of Matt Impink as the executive director of the Indy Achieves initiative.
“Last night, a bipartisan, forward-thinking coalition of City-County Councillors helped to provide the initial funding for Indy Achieves, a comprehensive program to make college attainable for every Marion County resident,” said Mayor Hogsett. “I applaud their commitment to decreasing barriers to success and growing our city’s talent pipeline, helping to make the American Dream achievable for all who call Indianapolis home.”
In 2017, Mayor Hogsett brought together representatives from state and local government, institutions of higher education, workforce development and education nonprofits, as well as major corporate employers, to assemble recommendations aimed at improving access to post-secondary educational opportunities for all Marion County residents. Last month, Mayor Hogsett announced the recommendations of that group at Chapel Hill 7th and 8th Grade Center, and launched Indy Achieves.
Indy Achieves, a comprehensive program to make post-secondary credentials and degrees available to every Indianapolis resident, will be housed within EmployIndy, Marion County’s workforce development agency, as a standalone organization with an expected staff of nearly a dozen once fully launched. It will be funded exclusively through an annual appropriation by the City-County Council that will not require any new taxes, as well as through agreements with both Ivy Tech and IUPUI who will financially participate in the program.
As executive director, Matt will guide Indy Achieves’ mission to improve access and completion of high quality degrees and credentials for Marion County students. This will entail offering aid to students through existing scholarships, marshaling private and philanthropic resources to provide wraparound services for residents pursuing a post-secondary degree, as well as monitoring Indianapolis’ workforce needs to ensure the model remains effective.
“Matt’s experience with education and community development have fully prepared him to take on the role of preparing our children for scholastic and professional success through Indy Achieves,” said Mayor Hogsett. “Indy Achieves is bold in both concept and execution, and we’re grateful to have Matt’s leadership at the helm helping to guide Marion County students toward a meaningful role in our 21st-century workforce.”
Prior to being appointed, Matt served as Director of Policy and Civic Engagement at the Indy Chamber where he led the Chamber’s efforts to expand mass transit, grow internship opportunities, and develop an inclusive growth agenda for economic development. Prior to that, Matt worked as a researcher at the IU Public Policy Institute, a community organizer at Stand for Children Indiana, and consultant at Lumina Foundation for Education.
Matt began his career in public education as an 11th grade U.S. History teacher while serving in Teach for America. Matt graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Public Affairs degree from IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IUPUI. As a proud Indianapolis native, he serves on the board of directors for Southeast Neighborhood Development (SEND), Indiana INTERNnet, and Latino Youth Collective.
For more information about Indy Achieves, visit IndyAchieves.org.
Posted on June 14th, 2018 in
Organizational Updates One of EmployIndy’s three strategic goals is to “Create a Positive Trajectory for Young Adults.” Achieving that goal cannot be done without figuring out how to engage the estimated 30,000 opportunity youth in Marion County, an elusive group of young adults ages 16-24 who have become disconnected from the workforce and education. EmployIndy’s role is to help connect young people to a career and/or education by working alongside local community based organizations to locate and positively engage this population.
Partnering with Finish Line Boys and Girls Club of Indianapolis (BGCI), Community Alliance of the Far Eastside (CAFE), and other local organizations, EmployIndy has establishing the Pivot Re-engagement Center on the Far Eastside, as a strategy to begin formulating relationships through basketball and other positive social activities. Early success affirms EmployIndy’s intention to replicate the model in neighborhoods throughout Indianapolis who are also struggling to engage opportunity youth.
BGCI was chosen as the pilot location not only because they are located in the heart of the Far Eastside, but because they are known as a place of hospitality and actively create a safe environment for participants. EmployIndy’s goal of opening doors for community based organizations leads into how BGCI will take their first step: building relationships and trust among young people.
Relationships between the young adults and the re-engagement facilitators (REFs) spur on conversation about education and career choices. The REFs will mentor young adults and enroll them in a two-week resilience program with a curriculum that is designed to empower individuals to develop the skills that fuel motivation, confidence, persistence, and resilience. If they complete the program, the participants will earn three of the six Job Ready Indy badges (Mindsets, Self-Management, and Social Skills) and will be connected with either employment or CAFE. If they are connected to CAFE, there is an additional opportunity to receive the remaining three Job Ready Indy badges.
“We know they have barriers which is why we are partnering with organizations like Boys and Girls Club and CAFE to give young adults the support they need through education, mentoring, and relationship building.”
– Rev. Rodney Francis, EmployIndy Senior Director of Opportunity Youth
CAFE case managers will determine what the next step should be for the participant: education or employment. They integrate fourteen service delivery elements, a Center for Working Families list of barrier-buster services utilized by the Youth Employment System (YES), and have a youth employment assistant on staff. If the young adult is taking the next step to finding employment, the Youth Employment Assistant is available to help with resume writing, job searching, and connecting a young adult with local job opportunities and/or available certifications.
If the best next step for the participant is to further their education, they will be connected to the Walker Career Center, co-located at CAFE, or Ivy Tech. Walker Career Center creates opportunities for young adults to receive industry-standard career certifications while also completing their HSE. Ivy Tech also provides training and certification programs throughout a variety of industry sectors.
Since the program’s soft-launch on May 21, 2018, the Pivot Re-engagement Center has signed up over 215 individuals who are eligible to receive resilience training. The collective goal is to matriculate 100 young adults from the Re-engagement Center to CAFE, between July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019, for more in-depth education and employment services. There is an overwhelming number of young adults who need to be supported in their endeavor to reach that next stage of life.
Businesses are able to partner with the Pivot Re-engagement Center by volunteering for mock interviews, becoming a REF, assisting with professional writing, providing opportunities for work experience, and donating to support program growth. If you would like to get involved, please contact EmployIndy’s Youth Re-engagement Center Manager, Dionne Smith.
