When Melissa “Mars” Anderson-Wust, a recent graduate of Avon High School, applied to a competitive position at a Central Indiana nature park, she was hopeful that the opportunity would be her first step towards building a career as a wildlife educator or naturalist, something she’d been interested in from a young age. But when they opted to move forward with another candidate, she was left wondering how she might start building her career without prior professional experience in parks and recreation.
“When I learned about the Indy Parks Corps Training with YES Indy, I was so excited and applied immediately,” Mars said. “I was hopeful that this would be a way to gain certifications and experience to help me stand out when applying for jobs at parks in Indy.” Mars was accepted into the program, an EmployIndy led 13-week paid cohort-style training that included phases focused on job readiness, earning industry certifications, work experience (WEX) internships, and job placement assistance. As a part of EmployIndy’s Coaching + Training efforts, YES Indy provides the personalized guidance and support that is essential to helping individuals choose the right education or training paths and persist through to completion.
After completing the initial training phases of the program, Mars was paired with Indianapolis Animal Care Services (IACS) for her month-long WEX internship, where her love for animals and work ethic helped her excel as she learned how IACS protects and promotes the health, safety, and welfare of pets and livestock in Marion County.
After completing the full program, Mars described herself as “ready.” And IACS agreed. Having had Mars as an intern, they moved quickly to hire her full time into an Adoptions Counselor role, where she monitors and evaluates animal behavior as well as assists clients who are looking to adopt.
“Working with animals can be a difficult job, making it difficult to hire people here,” said Colleen Walker, Public Information Officer at IACS. “But having candidates with experience, like Mars, is incredibly valuable. Experienced candidates often integrate quickly and previously having her here as an intern made the decision to hire her an easy one.”
In 2024, 10,923 individuals in Marion County enrolled in coaching and training through EmployIndy programs—gaining the skills and support needed to find employment and succeed in the workplace. Additionally, EmployIndy and our YES Indy network of community-based organizations (CBO) helped 275 young people, who were disconnected from education and employment, earn certifications in advanced trainings.
To learn more about job readiness and training opportunities with YES Indy, visit yesindy317.org. Interested in connecting with job ready candidates? Reach out to businesspartnerships@nullemployindy.org to get connected.
“We’re thrilled to help bring together our city’s workforce leaders in effort to network, learn and collaborate as we work to grow the work-based learning movement in our region,” says Marie Mackintosh, EmployIndy’s President + CEO. “We believe in the power of WBL and apprenticeships to not only help employers develop the next generation of talent but also shift their current workplace culture in new and valuable ways.”
As students face increasing challenges in preparing for meaningful and sustainable careers, and employers express concern about the lack of skilled and diverse workers who can meet their evolving demands, EmployIndy is working to connect youth with real-world work experiences that align with emerging economic trends to fill these gaps. Last year, 
During their time in the program, each graduating apprentice from the first cohort earned their high school diploma, an hourly income from their employer, college credits, industry certifications and credentials, and first-hand, relevant job experience—multiplying their options after graduation. The new fifth cohort of 16 apprentices, selected from hundreds of applicants, will begin the program in their junior year of high school, splitting their time between the classroom and the workplace. 
As a talent strategy and experience offered through Talent Bound, EmployIndy’s career-connected learning continuum, MAP helps employers tap into diverse talent pools—building strong talent pipelines to meet both short- and long-term staffing needs. The program creates a structure for employers and educators to be part of workforce solutions while removing barriers, so all Marion County students have equitable access to career-ready training and jobs in high-demand fields. 
