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, visit employindy.org/business-partnerships.
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 June 12th, 2019 in
Speaking Engagements Identifying and maintaining gainful employment is, for most individuals, a key outcome and goal of recovery from substance use disorder (SUD). It is also one of the most substantial barriers facing individuals in early recovery. Residents who deal with these issues often struggle to proceed through the ABC (A job, Better job, Career) continuum, but the tight labor market Indy is experiencing offers opportunities because local businesses are in such need of skilled workers.
The Indiana Workforce Recovery Initiative, a partnership between the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and the Wellness Council of Indiana, invited EmployIndy to present to recovery coaches and others in the recovery community about the workforce resources available for their clients.
Adam Rothrock of Community Outreach Network Services attended “because I wanted to get connected to more career services for our clients who are all re-entry. There is a lot of insecurity from people with a criminal background, so understanding where we can go for a warm handoff or referral is important so they can find success without getting discouraged.”
During the presentation, attendees cited similar interests to Rothrock, as well as a desire for more stability in programs available, citing difficulty navigating a complex landscape of opportunities.
The business community and individual residents both stand to benefit if recovery coaches can better connect their clients to in-demand education, training, and jobs.
After an intro from Mike Thibideau of the Indiana Chamber and an overview of EmployIndy from our COO Marie Mackintosh, our talent alignment manager Jennifer Walde shared information about how recovery coaches and their clients can connect to WorkOne Indy and its community partner locations, along with the career services offered.
Aside from general information and resources, bringing this group together offered a chance to ask questions and discuss issues as with peers.
One key question that was addressed was “when should someone disclose their felony if they have one?” Conversation around this topic reminded the group that it can be detrimental for a job seeker to lead with that fact as the first detail about themselves during an interview – but similarly it can be detrimental to avoid the topic entirely and never mention it (because of the likelihood of a background check revealing it).
“This is a tricky subject, but ultimately we are talking about human beings and their lives that are impacted by the work we are trying to do here,” said Jennifer Walde. This difficult topic lead to sharing of experiences from attendees around the benefit of honestly sharing information about a felony and explaining the life changes that are in place to ensure a positive path moving forward.
Jennifer also shared WorkOne Indy calendars, our employability skills video series, and outlined the strategy behind embedded WorkOne service locations in the city.
“We hope that a better understanding of the resources and services available will help recovery coaches provide value to their clients,” said Marie Mackintosh. “We are giving a broad overview today, and we look forward to learning more about your specific workforce questions and addressing them in more detail as we continue this partnership with the Indiana Chamber.”
DOWNLOAD THE PRESENTATION
