Twenty-six students throughout Central Indiana sign a certificate of acceptance as they begin their apprenticeship journey

Event recording
INDIANAPOLIS (May 15, 2021) – This morning at Ben Davis High School, 26 Central Indiana high school sophomores signed the Modern Apprenticeship certificate of acceptance to work as apprentices for 16 local employer partners*, piloting the first-ever cohort of EmployIndy’s Central Indiana youth apprenticeship program, Modern Apprenticeship. Of the 100+ students that expressed interest, these 26 apprentices were chosen among their peers to participate in Modern Apprenticeship, a two- to three-year paid experience launched in coordination with Ascend Indiana in Fall 2020. EmployIndy, Marion County’s workforce development board, and Ascend Indiana, the talent and workforce development initiative of Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), actively support the apprentices, employers, and general programmatic outcomes for Modern Apprenticeship.

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For the apprentices, the journey will officially kick off this summer as they attend a bootcamp to develop their employability skills and start their jobs at their new employers. Beginning their junior year of high school, apprentices will split their time between the classroom and the workplace. By the end of the experience, they will have obtained not only a high school diploma and invaluable social capital, they will also earn industry-recognized credentials and transferable college credits.

“The Modern Apprenticeship opportunity is an excellent example of K-12, higher education, and industry partners strategically working together to help Hoosier students maximize their success,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “Student-centered, future-focused partnerships like this are essential to helping students access quality work-based learning and earn postsecondary credentials while they’re still in high school.”

Today, at the inaugural Modern Apprenticeship Signing Day, both apprentices and employers signed a formal certificate of acceptance, signifying the beginning of their journey together. As part of this commitment, the employer will mentor and support the student as they navigate an in-demand role within the organization. Through their participation in Modern Apprenticeship, these employers demonstrate their commitment to being co-producers of talent alongside education partners.

“We’re excited to witness this program’s progress and evolution during its pilot year,” said Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. “The City of Indianapolis is proud to be part of the first cohort of employers to hire an apprentice who, beginning this summer, will work part-time as a member of our staff.”

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. EmployIndy and Ascend have partnered with regional and national career readiness initiatives to pilot a program that provides students with quality, integrated work experiences combined with classroom learning that will prepare young people for a successful transition to college and jobs of the future.

“As the economy continues to evolve due to automation and globalization, it is increasingly critical to ensure all students in Indianapolis have access to education and training that align with changing employer demand.” said Jason Kloth, president and CEO, Ascend Indiana. “Modern Apprenticeship is a responsive model that can be expanded to create work-based learning opportunities for youth across the state.”

Ascend Indiana and EmployIndy are continuing to partner closely to grow the program, increasing engaged schools, apprentices, and employer partners as they strategize for the 2022 cohort.

“EmployIndy is excited to celebrate our inaugural class of apprentices today,” said Marie Mackintosh, chief strategy officer, EmployIndy. “Our employer partners are thrilled to welcome the students into the workplace where they will add value while building skills on the job. As our economy continues to recover and demand for talent increases, we look forward to scaling the Modern Apprenticeship program in Central Indiana and creating more real-world experiences that benefit students, employers, and our community.”

Congratulations to the first cohort of Modern Apprenticeship students:

• Akinwale Adesakin, George Washington High School – Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS)
• Daniel Camacho, Ben Davis High School – Katz Sapper & Miller (KSM)
• Jordyn Collins, Pike High School – OneAmerica
• Ja’Kyra Cox, George Washington High School – Ivy Tech Community College
• Ramiro Delgado, Arsenal Technical High School – Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS)
• Salematou Diaby,  Pike High School – EmployIndy
• Aanaiah Evans, North Central High School – Roche Diagnostics
• Ruby Galvan, Ben Davis High School – City of Indianapolis
• Melanie Garcia, North Central High School – EmployIndy
• Isaiah Gebrekidan, Victory College Prep – Ivy Tech Community College
• Anthony Golden, North Central High School – TechPoint
• Nicholas Graves, Ben Davis High School – Indy Chamber
• Nyema Hillman, North Central High School – Ascension/St. Vincent
• Kinaya Hines, North Central High School – Roche Diagnostics
• Clarissa Hunt, Pike High School – Pepper Construction
• Sydney Johnson, North Central High School – Ascension/St. Vincent
• Virginia Martinez, North Central High School – Ascension/St. Vincent
• Evelyn Ogundare, Ben Davis High School – Roche Diagnostics
• Abigail Ortiz Amado, Ben Davis High School – AES Indiana
• Zion Peterson, North Central High School – OneAmerica
• Sophia Pimental, Pike High School – Ascension/St. Vincent
• Ariana Rodriguez Shinault, George Washington High School – Ascend Indiana
• Fatoumata Sylla, Pike High School – Skillful Indiana
• Jada Taylor, George Washington High School – Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS)
• Will Valentine, North Central High School – Ascend Indiana
• Morgan Wilson, North Central High School – Indianapolis Airport Authority

*Participating Employers: AES Indiana, Ascend Indiana, Ascension St. Vincent, City of Indianapolis, EmployIndy, Katz Sapper & Miller, Indianapolis Airport Authority, Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), Indy Chamber, Ivy Tech Community College, OneAmerica, Pepper Construction, Roche Diagnostics, Skillful Indiana, TechPoint, and The Heritage Group

Participating Indianapolis-area Township School Districts and Charter Schools: Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), Phalen Leadership Academy, Pike High School, Victory College Prep, Washington Township, and Wayne Township

To learn more about Modern Apprenticeship (MAP), visit www.indymodernapprenticeship.com.

Indy Achieves mentorship program application opens to mentors for the 2020 cohort of Ivy Tech and IUPUI students

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – 19 November 2019 – As of today, community leaders, educators, and business partners are welcome to apply to become an Indy Achieves mentor for the 2020 cohort of incoming Ivy Tech and IUPUI students. As an integral initiative overseen by EmployIndy, Mayor Hogsett’s Indy Achieves provides resources that help fight the growing rate of poverty in Indianapolis. Offering this support to students as they transition into postsecondary education establishes a pathway to success for those who may have not persisted.

“We are committed to helping students achieve their educational goals by providing them with the guidance and mentorship needed to reach those next steps,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “With this vital support, we are all working together to remove barriers to postsecondary education for Marion County residents and ultimately improving the future for all of Indianapolis.”

When looking further down the road, the hope is that the mentorship program will have a positive impact on the completion rates as students receive the support necessary to persist through their degree or certification. This program uses a two-way text message system that focuses on engaging, supporting, and informing Marion County students as they pursue their path to enrolling in a postsecondary degree or certification. Conversation includes information about filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), registering for the first day of classes, navigating campus resources, connecting with academic advisors, and more.

“Last year, over 400 students went through the mentorship program alongside 100 dedicated mentors,” said Yecenia Tostado, Associate Director of Indy Achieves. “We are working to grow the number of Marion County residents who register as mentees with hopes to have an even greater influence on individuals successfully making the transition into postsecondary education.”

One of the most common obstacles that students face is “summer melt” – a phenomenon that occurs during the time between applying for school and showing up the following semester. Research finds that one in five college-bound high school graduates who have been accepted to and intend to enroll in college fail to show up on the first day of class due to unforeseen challenges they encounter during the summer months. This jumps to two in five students in underserved areas.

If you would like to apply to be an Indy Achieves mentor to help close the gap, please fill out the form on indyachieves.org/mentor. If mentorship isn’t the best way for you or your organization to engage with students, EmployIndy’s Talent Bound program houses many other opportunities such as hosting site tours, job shadows, internships, and more. To get involved in any of these ways, please visit talentbound.org.

Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) students from Indiana School for the Deaf and Arsenal Technical High School participated in a Talent Tour at ProLogistix on Thursday, September 5, utilizing hands-on stations and learning about multiple facets of the logistics industry.

ProLogistix is a staffing firm that prepares job seekers for logistics careers by training them in the technology that they will use in their job, including forklifts and item scanners.

Kristen Bevins, ProLogistix division vice president, voiced enthusiasm for the value that experiences like this can provide students. “I think that it’s important for people to know what kind of jobs are out there and to know what kind of career to go after. In high school there are so many options – how do you pick? You don’t know until you actually go out and see it firsthand whether or not it’s something you like.”

Business/education partnerships like this “could be a way for students to learn how to drive a forklift and go into the workforce right out of high school,” said Johny Anderson, JAG specialist at Arsenal Technical High School.  “I think this experience was great for the students to actually try out the forklift simulator and learn more about the forklifts as well as learn about different careers and opportunities in logistics itself.”

In addition to these hands-on experiences, the students spoke with a ProLogistix sales representative, a human resources generalist from Meritor, and Laura Steele from the Hendricks Logistics Sector Partnership, learning about various career paths in the industry.

Nigel Franklin, a junior at Arsenal Technical High School, moved to Indianapolis from Virginia this summer. “During enrollment, my counselor gave me this class and I’ve loved it ever since,” he said. His favorite part of the day was learning about the different types of machines and getting to try on the harness for the cherry picker forklift. After spending the day learning about the logistics industry, he said, “I am definitely interested in logistics. Hopefully I have more tours like this coming up.”

Talent Tours are a great chance to share the core mission of your business with young learners, while also showing the variety of employment opportunities and skills needed to keep your business moving. By providing a better understanding of your work to young adults, you can plant a seed for potential future talent to consider the varying areas of your industry as a they make decisions that lead them into their career. EmployIndy can help facilitate your organization’s involvement in work-based learning through a menu of options in our Talent Bound work-based learning toolkit – learn more by connecting with an employer engagement manager.