INDIANAPOLIS – February 22, 2024 – EmployIndy is grateful for the continued support of Lilly Endowment Inc. to sustain and improve EmployIndy’s Youth Employment System (YES) to effectively address education and employment disparities for Opportunity Youth–youth and young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not in school and not working–in Indianapolis.

According to Measure of America’s Youth Disconnection in America Tool and 2021 American Community Survey data, there are roughly 25,200 Opportunity Youth in Central Indiana, with 15,800 of these disconnected youth residing in Marion County. Youth can become disconnected from education and employment for various reasons such as inadequate access to job training, homelessness, involvement with the justice system, and lack of familial support.

The new $5.5 million Lilly Endowment grant will help EmployIndy strengthen its partnership with community-based organizations that are central to how YES Indy provides guidance and resources to low-income, out-of-school young adults in Marion County so they can set and reach their educational and employment goals.

EmployIndy launched a new three-year strategic plan in 2023, with a focus on scaling four quality interventions that have impact across all populations to address equity and opportunity gaps in education and employment. These interventions include Career-Connected Learning, Coaching + Training, Talent Connection, and Good Jobs. EmployIndy has braided state and federal funding with philanthropic funding to expand and strengthen the delivery of YES Indy quality career navigation services both directly and in partnership with community-based organizations who are essential to this work. These services include developing effective outreach through the Re-Engagement Center (REC) model, providing employability and industry skills trainings, and offering valuable work experiences and job placements.

“We are grateful for Lilly Endowment’s support of our strategic efforts to provide young adults with more opportunities to prepare for sustainable employment,” says EmployIndy President & CEO Marie Mackintosh. “These funds will enable us to continue to expand and enhance the efforts of youth-serving organizations in our community who are re-engaging and supporting those disconnected from school and the workplace.”

In addition to supporting YES Indy network community organizations (see full list below) that directly provide youth services, EmployIndy will invest these grant funds into three key strategies to increase youth engagement with high-quality services:

1. Open an additional YES Indy Re-Engagement Center (REC) in the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood;

2. Add two new YES Indy providers to the network; and

3. Increase wages for all YES Indy provider staff to establish a baseline for Good Wages across the network.

Over the past twenty years, the Lilly Endowment, Inc. has provided support that has enabled more than 8,000 Opportunity Youth to enroll in EmployIndy youth employment services.

To deliver YES Indy services, EmployIndy selects community-based organizations through a competitive procurement process. Our current network of providers include:

1.         Community Alliance of the Far Eastside (CAFE)

2.         Edna Martin Christian Center

3.         Fathers and Families Center, Inc.

4.         Flanner House

5.         Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana (GCSI)

6.         Keys to Work

7.         Martindale-Brightwood CDC

8.         Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center

9.         PACE, Inc.

10.       YMCA of Greater Indianapolis

Learn more about YES Indy services or connect to a YES Indy service provider at yesindy317.org.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – February 8, 2024 – This morning, over 100 Indianapolis high school juniors and seniors met at Martin University for the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) Indy Regional Career Development Conference. Each student utilized the employability skills they have learned in their JAG classrooms over the course of the past year, competing in challenges such as launching entrepreneurship plans, developing chapter marketing campaigns, providing creative solutions, demonstrating employability skills and critical thinking, and more. 

The JAG Indy program prepares students for the workforce by introducing them to employability skills and different industries, employers, and work experiences.  

“It's amazing to see the hard work that our JAG Indy students put in throughout the year, and then bring to this competition,” said Erika Cheney, Vice President of Career-Connected Learning at EmployIndy. “The career readiness skills and creativity on display here today point to a bright future for our workforce.” 

The Regional JAG Indy Career Development Conference is an opportunity for students to demonstrate their skills, with the top individual from each competition qualifying to attend the State JAG Career Development Conference taking place in March 2024. In addition to recognizing these students’ successes, five individuals were nominated by their JAG Specialist as outstanding senior candidates, an award recognizing select high school seniors who have gone above and beyond in community involvement and are viewed as leaders among their peers.  

“I’m thankful for everyone who supported me during this process. As I prepare for the state competition, l am committed to working even harder,” said Mariska Ogutu, outstanding senior from Ben Davis High School. Mariska was named Region 12’s JAG Outstanding Senior for 2024 and will compete for the top honor against the other eleven workforce development regions in the State.  

This year’s keynote speaker, NBA and WNBA Host/Emcee and Global Brand Marketer, Olivia West, shared inspiring words with students as she set the stage for an outstanding day of competition and collaboration. 

Indianapolis Deputy Mayor Judith Thomas also contributed greatly to the students’ experience with remarks and took the time to congratulate every winner at this year’s award ceremony. 

This event was also successful because of our sponsors, including Gold Level Sponsor WM who has generously supported the Jobs for America’s Graduates program in Marion County.

“We need passionate leaders to advocate on their behalf when they can’t.”

In October, Essence Gray and Josh Morrow had the opportunity to do that very thing. Serving as policy liaisons on the National Youth Employment Coalition’s (NYEC) Youth Advisory Council (YAC), both Indy natives had the chance to travel to Washington D.C. to participate in NYEC’s inaugural Youth Days, an annual event that fosters education and empowerment both of young people and the practitioners who serve them. 

“In many ways, Essence's educational and career journey, with its starts and stops, highs and lows, many due to life happenings and system barriers, is indicative of so many of the Opportunity Youth (OY) we encounter,” said Rev Rodney Francis, Executive Vice President, Workforce Solutions, at EmployIndy. “She has not given up on her dreams and instead persisted. In this way, she’s a leader among her peers.” Through YES Indy, EmployIndy’s Youth Employment System, Gray completed the Power Huddle in April of 2020, a two-week job readiness experience, which helped her develop a growth mindset and an appetite for making positive changes in herself and for her fellow youth. Despite having struggled with homelessness, involvement with the justice system, grief from the tragic loss of loved ones, and system barriers, Gray has remained focused and has taken advantage of the employment training and services offered to her by EmployIndy and its community-based partner organizations, even securing an internship with EmployIndy’s Strategy and Research team at the end of 2020.

While in Washington D.C. for Youth Days, she attended policy meetings, presented at a breakout session on the current challenges for today’s youth, as well as spoke about youth gun violence in Indianapolis and how it has affected her and her community. When asked about other highlights from the trip, she was quick to share that meeting Congressman Andre Carson was a moment she says she will always remember. “His staff was very Hoosier and welcoming, which made me feel like I was back at home,” she said. Walking into his office, Congressman Carson told Gray to have a seat at his desk and that one day “it may very well be your seat.” She spoke with him about the work she would like to do and how he can better help the youth in Indianapolis. 

“These past few months since returning from Washington D.C., I've started a family strengthening class that is helping me to better myself for the ones around me. I’m still doing youth leadership advocacy work but have also tapped into my management skills and now help manage local music artists, as a part of work to help co-found a music record label,” said Gray. 

For Josh Morrow, who has also experienced hardships and struggles with system barriers similar to Gray, it’s about forward movement and continued progress. “Right now, I'm just learning and taking every opportunity,” said Morrow, who first became involved with NYEC through the Community Alliance of the Far Eastside (CAFE), a YES Indy partner organization and referral source for young people looking for career and employment support. “I believe I bring lived experiences and a deep understanding of the skilled trade employment market.” Morrow added about his time thus far serving on the Youth Advisory Council. Since visiting Washington D.C. for Youth Days, Morrow has continued to focus on youth development and employment advocacy, working as a mentor recruiter for Trusted Mentors.

Gray’s and Morrow’s determination toward an upward trajectory underscores the importance that their voices have had and will continue to play at the national level, where critical youth-focused policies are shaped. And as they continue to advocate for themselves and others who are facing barriers to education and employment here in Indianapolis, they will hold their experiences in our nation’s capital close.

Young people, ages 16-24, who are interested in getting connected to barrier-busting support as well as connection to education, training, and job opportunities, are encouraged to visit https://yesindy317.org.