EmployIndy is one of the entities throughout the state of Indiana that helps distribute funds for the Next Level Jobs (NLJ) Employer Training Grant program, and applications opened on September 1st. 

The NLJ Employer Training Grant “reimburses employers who train, hire, and retain new or incumbent workers to fill in-demand positions.” Reimbursements can be as large as $5,000 per trained employee and a total of $50,000 per employer that participates.

A number of EmployIndy partners across different sectors have benefitted from this program in the past, and they aren’t shy about reporting positive results.

According to Sumco Human Resources Manager, Darla Hineman, the grant helped the electroplating manufacturer add new positions, offer promotions, and raise opportunities for existing employees. “Retention has improved,” Hineman said, “because we have been able to focus on engaging the employee and providing a more thorough training process.” 

For Synchrony Pharmacy, an Employer Training Grant meant the opportunity to train ten employees on new software, which those employees now use on a daily basis.

Micala McClain of Ridgeline Electrical Industries says that the organization was able to “increase productivity from the get-go,” by “implementing an incredible boot camp” for new employees.

At Franciscan Health, there were even life-and-death implications, as the hospital used money from the grant to create and run a patient care course. Director Michael Goins’ describes the course as one that, “prepares people for bedside care in the hospital.” This included student participants, who were able to begin employment at a higher rate of pay than they would have otherwise had access to.

Priority industries for this year’s grant money will include the health and life sciences, building and construction, IT and business services, transportation and logistics, advanced manufacturing, and agriculture. Each of those industries is further broken down into eligible occupations. EmployIndy distributions will prioritize veteran-, minority-, and women-own businesses, as well as companies that have not received funding in the recent past.

Questions on eligibility or the application process can be directed to Tracy Murphy (tmurphy@nullemployindy.org), EmployIndy’s Associate Director of 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:

• MieYoung Reed, JW Marriott
• L’America Brown, Visit Indy
• Karen Simon, Waffle House
• Stephanie Longerich, Columbia Club
• Temi Falcon, The Westin Indianapolis
• Kelly Ginder, Omni Severin Hotel
• Sarah Olivero, INRLA

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

7 September 2021 – The modern age has brought about major changes within the world of work. Emerging technologies and globalization are impacting the very nature of workforce dynamics while employers’ demand for highly-skilled, versatile talent continues to grow. A combination of technical and soft skills, as well as comprehensive, real-world experiences, are prerequisites for the majority of entry-level jobs. The opportunities to obtain these credentials, however, are not readily accessible, creating a widening gap in career-ready skills amongst the workforce.

In an effort to bridge the gap between the supply of talent and the demand for multi-skilled employees in the local community, EmployIndy and Ascend Indiana piloted a new apprenticeship model for Indianapolis high school students that prepare them for the future of high-demand industries. 

Modern Apprenticeship (MAP) is a paid three-year work-based learning experience for Central Indiana high schoolers with local community employers. Beginning their junior year of high school, apprentices will split their time between the classroom and the workplace. By the end of the MAP experience, students not only graduate with a high school diploma and obtain invaluable social capital, but they will also earn industry-recognized credentials and transferable college credits.

“Modern Apprenticeship helps to diversify talent pipelines while increasing the economic mobility of local youth and providing the critical experience needed when taking the next steps towards a career,” says Betsy Revell, Vice President of Talent Solutions at EmployIndy.

The inaugural MAP cohort, consisting of 30 students and 16 employers, signed their certificate of acceptance in May of 2021, establishing a system of career-connected learning that will create equitable opportunities for high schoolers throughout Marion County. The youth apprentices completed two MAP boot camps this summer to prepare them for their upcoming apprenticeships this fall and begin connecting with their employers and peers. 

In addition to piloting the Modern Apprenticeship program, EmployIndy and Ascend Indiana both hired apprentices from the inaugural cohort. 

“Hiring internal apprentices was important to EmployIndy because we wanted to navigate the Modern Apprenticeship program alongside our business partners and have a legitimate experience as a MAP employer,” says Revell. “Hosting apprentices also aligns with our goals associated with creating long-term talent pipelines and EmployIndy’s strategic priority of building career pathways for young adults.”

Salematou Diaby, Kimorah Waites, and Melanie Garcia began their apprenticeships at EmployIndy on August 9th. All three apprentices have been placed in different departments within EmployIndy; Diaby with the Career Services team, working with WorkOne Indy; Waites with the Talent Solutions team, working with Talent Bound and MAP; and Garcia with the K-12 and Postsecondary team, working with K-12 programs (photos at end of post).

“It is exciting to have youth apprentices within these EmployIndy teams because, in many cases, high school students are our target audience,” says Revell. “Our apprentices offer an opportunity for EmployIndy to get real-world feedback in real-time, and we need that real-time insight to continue to expand our programs.” 

Workforce development is facing a new set of stipulations in adequately preparing young people for the future working world. The demand for well-rounded, experienced employees requires targeted services that leverage existing talent pools from a young age. Competent workers are abundant, but the training needed to fortify their skills is not always accessible. Modern Apprenticeship creates accessible opportunities for young talent while enhancing the skills needed to succeed in today’s in-demand industries.

Melanie Garcia, EmployIndy's K-12 & Postsecondary Apprentice

Salematou Diaby, EmployIndy's Career Services Apprentice

Kimorah Waites, EmployIndy's Talent Solutions Apprentice