City of Indianapolis celebrates apprenticeship programs in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Apprenticeship Week

INDIANAPOLIS – 14 November 2022 – Today, Mayor Joe Hogsett recognized the second annual “Apprenticeship Week” in Indianapolis. This week-long celebration, occurring the second full week of November and in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), will be lifted up by stakeholders who strive to promote both Registered and Youth Apprenticeship throughout Marion County. 

“Our city recognizes that apprenticeships can train our workforce and build a pipeline into good, quality jobs in order to address our city’s pressing workforce challenges,” said Mayor Hogsett. “We continue to support programming like Registered and Youth Apprenticeship, a proven and industry-driven training model, to connect employers with talent.”

Apprenticeships prepare people of all ages and backgrounds for sustainable careers by providing them with in-demand skills and relevant job experience so they can prepare for and thrive in a fast-changing job market. Youth Apprenticeships, in particular, provide young people with a model of success for introducing our future workforce to expanded career pathways. 

High school students who complete Modern Apprenticeship, a youth apprenticeship program, have the opportunity to participate in hands-on work experience that complements their traditional coursework, in growing fields such as business, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and information technology (IT). Afterward, they can continue on to a college degree or jump right into the workforce. Youth apprenticeships offer young people the rare opportunity to get paid to learn while multiplying their options after high school. 

EmployIndy is also celebrating our commitment to strengthening and diversifying Registered Apprenticeship programs during this year’s National Apprenticeship Week. As one of more than 200 industry, labor, and community-based organizations– as well as educators, employers, and workforce intermediaries– among the inaugural cohort of the Biden-Harris administration’s Apprenticeship Ambassador Initiative, EmployIndy will leverage this designation and additional funding to scale innovative apprenticeship practices in Marion County and Central Indiana, including Registered and Modern Apprenticeship.

“EmployIndy is eager to continue to expand Apprenticeship programs for all Marion County residents, including underserved and underrepresented populations,” said Marie Mackintosh, EmployIndy president and CEO. “As we work to increase the accessibility of Registered and Youth Apprenticeship programs, we will create more economic equity for all workers in our community.” 

Registered Apprenticeship is a high-quality, equitable earn-and-learn model that provides workers with immersive learning experiences, job-related instruction with a mentor, and a clear pathway to a good-paying job. The programs include a nationally-recognized credential system that helps employers hire a more demographically diverse workforce across 40 in-demand industries.

As employer demand for highly-skilled talent continues to grow, it is necessary to establish a system of career-connected learning that will create equitable opportunities for all Indianapolis students. This National Apprenticeship Week, we celebrate the strides of apprenticeship in Marion County thus far while looking forward to the progress ahead. 

Partner organizations and apprenticeship stakeholders throughout Central Indiana can celebrate Apprenticeship Week by accessing our media toolkit. Tune into in EmployIndy’s social media platforms throughout the week to learn more about #NAW2022. 

View the Apprenticeship Week 2022 Proclamation

About Modern Apprenticeship 

Modern Apprenticeship was launched in 2020 by EmployIndy and Ascend Indiana for Indianapolis high school students to prepare them for the future in high-demand industries. This program is a three-year work-based learning experience with local employers, where students will emerge with a high school diploma, college credits, relevant credentials, and professional experience. Learn more at indymodernapprenticeship.com

About EmployIndy 

EmployIndy guides the local workforce ecosystem and makes strategic investments to remove barriers to quality employment for underserved and underrepresented residents. Our vision is for all Marion County residents to have access to services and training necessary to secure a livable wage and grow in a career that meets employer demand for talent. As the workforce development board for Marion County, guided by 24 business, civic, education and nonprofit community leaders, EmployIndy invests over $20 million in public, private and philanthropic funds for both youth and adults annually. EmployIndy stands against all forms of racism – systemic, individual, and structural – as an anti-racist organization. Learn more at employindy.org.