When Milo Spears started college at Indiana University Indianapolis as a drawing and illustration major, she had big dreams of publishing her first book of illustrations and landing an illustrator job or internship. But like many students, Spears faced the challenge of focusing on her passions while juggling a busy schedule, connecting to resources and support, and staying financially secure.
That’s when Spears discovered Indy Achieves. Through the program, she received a last-dollar scholarship to cover tuition and fees not paid by other financial aid, as well as student success coaching that connected her to resources she didn’t know existed. For someone who describes herself as “very self-reliant,” asking for help wasn’t easy. But Indy Achieves changed that.
“There is something so undeniably helpful about knowing there is somebody in my court right now who wants me to succeed, who will do what they can within their power to give me the tools I need so that I can be successful,” Spears said. “Indy Achieves has taught me that you can rely on people.”
The support Spears received gave her the confidence to thrive — not just as a student, but as a leader. Today, she works at IU Indianapolis’ Bepko Learning Center as an academic success coach, helping other students reach their academic goals.
“During one of Milo’s coaching sessions, she shared with me how our conversations became a model for how she helps her peers as an academic success coach,” said Melissa Salerno, student success coach for Indy Achieves. “Watching our students grow and thrive through Indy Achieves is incredible, not just as students, but as thoughtful, and empathic leaders in our community.”
Indy Achieves is more than financial aid — it provides students with the tools and support they need to stay in school and finish strong. A key feature of Indy Achieves is its student success coaching model that has boosted postsecondary retention by up to 13% compared to peers.
“All I want in life is to engage in my passions and to help people,” Spears said. “And now I get to extend the same support I’ve received through Indy Achieves to my peers on campus.”
Indy Achieves, launched by Mayor Joe Hogsett in 2018 and housed at EmployIndy, is on a mission to close Indianapolis’ skills gap by helping more residents earn high-quality degrees and credentials. The goal: 65% attainment by 2027.
In 2024 alone, Indy Achieves provided personalized coaching and support for 2,224 scholars— an investment projected to generate $11.8 million in annual economic impact once those students complete their programs.
Beyond boosting overall attainment, Indy Achieves is committed to equity. The initiative works to eliminate gaps for students with diverse identities and backgrounds by expanding access to financial aid, offering Promise Scholarships and Completion Grants, and providing comprehensive wraparound services for Marion County college students enrolled at Indiana University Indianapolis.
Ready to achieve your goals? Discover scholarships and coaching through Indy Achieves by visiting employindy.org/indyachieves.
In today’s rapidly evolving economy, the success of a region depends on how well its systems—workforce development, education, economic growth, and community services—work together. At EmployIndy, this isn’t just a vision; it’s a strategy in action.
As Indianapolis’ workforce development board, EmployIndy plays a pivotal role in aligning resources and partners to ensure job seekers receive the right support at the right time, and employers access the talent they need without unnecessary delays or duplication. Through cross-sector collaboration, policy advocacy, and innovative programming, EmployIndy builds an integrated system that maximizes resources and streamlines service delivery.
Here’s how we’re making it happen:
Bridging Classrooms and Careers
EmployIndy is transforming how young people prepare for the workforce by embedding career-connected learning into the K–12 experience. Through initiatives like Talent Bound and the Modern Apprenticeship Program (MAP), students gain hands-on experience in high-demand industries such as healthcare, business operations, and advanced manufacturing.
Over 599 employers and 142 youth apprentices from 12 high schools are engaged in career-connected learning within these programs.
IPS student participation in work-based learning has increased by 600%.
As part of the Accelerate ED initiative, EmployIndy helped launch a pathway blueprint for Cybersecurity that allows students to earn dual credits and industry-recognized certifications starting in 9th grade—setting them on a fast track to high-wage careers.
Removing Barriers to Success
EmployIndy understands that career readiness goes beyond skills—it’s also about support. That’s why we’ve built a robust coaching and training infrastructure. Last year, 10,923 clients and participants enrolled in EmployIndy programs and initiatives to receive career coaching, training, and wraparound services.
Indy Achieves, in partnership with IU Indianapolis, removes financial barriers to postsecondary education by promoting access to financial aid, offering Promise Scholarships and Completion Grants, and providing wraparound support services for Marion County students.
In 2024 alone, it supported 2,224 scholars, generating an estimated $11.8 million in economic benefit.
The YES Indy network, in partnership with community-based organizations (CBO) across the city, offers job readiness training in tandem with barrier-busting supports like childcare and transportation.
Last year, YES Indy helped participants earn 275 certifications in high-demand fields.
Matching People to Opportunity
EmployIndy’s Talent Connection initiatives, including WorkOne Indy, streamline how job seekers and employers connect—delivering efficient, targeted engagement. Through strategic partnerships, community outreach, and employer-driven programming, these efforts help reduce barriers to employment and accelerate hiring timelines.
3,309 individuals were placed in good or promising jobs in 2024.
Last year, weekly hiring events at WorkOne Indy attracted 14,559 job seekers and connected them with 259 unique employers.
By maximizing efficiency in the hiring process, EmployIndy’s Talent Connection efforts not only offer real-time access to opportunities across a wide range of industries but also help businesses fill roles more quickly with qualified candidates—creating a more agile and responsive labor market in Marion County.
We’ve collaborated with IU Indianapolis and IPS to create a Seamless Admission process for students with a 3.0 GPA—eliminating application fees and paperwork.
We’ve influenced key legislation, including:
HB 1243: A new diploma focused on career readiness.
SB 8: Flexible postsecondary pathways.
HB 1001: Streamlined career scholarship and coaching grants.
We’ve developed a Career Advising Framework now used statewide to guide career coaching in schools.
To date, 128 employers have been certified for paying at least $18/hour and offering health benefits.
Last year, this resulted in $5.81 million in increased wages, improving retention and economic mobility for workers.
By raising wages and expanding benefits, the Good Wages Initiative fosters a resilient, inclusive labor market that benefits workers, employers, and the broader community.
The Power of Partnership: A Model for Modern Workforce Development
This integrated approach reflects EmployIndy’s commitment to building a coordinated network that reduces duplication, accelerates access to opportunity, and delivers measurable outcomes for individuals and employers alike.
Interested in getting involved? Reach out to [email protected] to get connected.
January is National Mentoring Month, celebrating the nature of mentorship in its ability to amplify change and help young people find and follow their passions, one relationship at a time. With a strategic goal to create a positive trajectory for young adults to actively participate in the workforce, EmployIndy uses mentorship to engage Marion County youth and prepare them for a future of success. By meeting students and young people where they are, local business leaders and educators work alongside EmployIndy staff to share experiences and expertise that both foster career development and bring inspiration.
“Hi Ana! Just checking in to see how you’re doing being home from school? I’ll be sending info later on registering for orientation, but I’m here if you need anything. Stay healthy.”
Each school year, hundreds of Indy Achieves students planning to attend IUPUI and Ivy Tech have the opportunity to connect with a mentor, a local community or business leader, and receive support through text messages, like the one above. Born out of the belief that all Indianapolis residents should have the ability to pursue and complete a postsecondary credential or degree program, Indy Achieves staff and mentors diligently offer support to students in everything ranging from filing for FAFSA to registering for classes. This mentorship goes a long way in preventing summer melt, a phenomenon where high school graduates and returning students never make it to classes in the Fall due to overlooked letters and emails, unfinished financial aid forms, failure to turn in important health documents, and more. In 2019, over 70% of Indy Achieves students took advantage of this mentorship offering and received the support they needed to start or continue their postsecondary.
Through Talent Bound, high school students have the opportunity to connect with local employers and business leaders, called Talent Mentors. In a group setting, students gain career knowledge, industry exposure and develop their personal network as they meet virtually and in-person with their Talent Mentor. In 2020, Talent Mentors worked with students at 25 mentoring events, impacting the lives of over 145 students within the IPS school system. These students had the opportunity to learn about competencies, expectations and experiences within the health sciences, business & finance, cosmetology, culinary, computer science, automotive, advanced manufacturing, military, construction and visual arts industries.
Young people outside of the education system also have the opportunity to engage in mentorship through the YES Indy Power Huddle program. Power Huddle works to mentor local youth through a two-week intensive training where individuals learn how they can change their future trajectory that will help them take the next step in furthering their education or career. To provide support and accountability, Power Huddle instructors use mentorship and relationship building to help move participants from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. Through adult mentoring within the Power Huddle program, students also develop employability skills, find help with career navigation, receive life coaching, job readiness training, adult education services, and counseling.
If you would like to help prepare Marion County’s youth and young adults for the workforce through mentorship, use the links below to find out how you can become involved with an EmployIndy-led program:
Become a mentor to a local high school student pursuing postsecondary through Ivy Tech or IUPUI:
INDIANAPOLIS – Today at the Campus Center at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Mayor Joe Hogsett, alongside Indy Achieves representatives from both IUPUI and Ivy Tech Community College – Indianapolis, announced a $500,000 increase for Indy Achieves scholarships and grants in the proposed 2023 City Budget. Indy Achieves, housed at EmployIndy, is an initiative launched by Mayor Joe Hogsett in 2018 that aims to ensure that every Indianapolis resident has the ability to pursue and complete a postsecondary credential or degree program.
“This year, nearly five hundred students received Completion Grants through the Indy Achieves Program,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “With a half a million dollar increase in 2023, we can boost that closer to seven hundred. That means even more Indianapolis students will have access to resources to unlock good-paying and rewarding careers, lifting up their families and neighborhoods along with them.”
The proposed increase in funding comes at an important juncture for Indianapolis, as just 41% of Marion County residents hold credentials beyond high school. This percentage highlights a potential shortfall according to a report by the Lumina Foundation, which states that 60% of Indiana jobs will require some form of postsecondary credentials by 2025. In effort to combat this potential shortfall, Indy Achieves works directly with students at IUPUI and Ivy Tech – Indianapolis to provide financial aid as well as proactive and individualized support from Indy Achieves Student Success Coaches in areas including financial literacy, academic planning, accessing campus and community resources, and providing career opportunities. Since its inception in 2018, Indy Achieves has supported over 3,000 Marion County students as they pursue their postsecondary degree or credential, with over $4 million in financial aid provided.
For many Indy Achieves students, the financial aid and wrap-around support they receive plays a vital role in their pursuit of a postsecondary degree or credential. “The completion grant provided me with the support that allowed me to focus on the most important aspect of school, learning,” Indy Achieves Completion Grant recipient Nyree Pegues said. Students, such as Pegues, who receive Completion Grants, are given one-time awards to cover unpaid bursar bills or other substantial debts that would have prevented them from continuing their postsecondary education. In addition to completion grants, Indy Achieves also provides Promise Scholarships to help close any remaining gaps in academic costs at either institution.
“Many Marion County students, despite great academic talent, are still struggling with the financial burden of pursuing a postsecondary degree,” said Indy Achieves Executive Director Matt Impink. “We are eager for this proposed additional funding as we work with Ivy Tech and IUPUI to deliver timely financial aid that students need, so they can focus on preparing for their career here in Indianapolis.”
Present at Mayor Hogsett’s announcement were representatives from both IUPUI and Ivy Tech – Indianapolis, who were eager to show their support. Through this increase in funding, both institutions will gain access to students who, without assistance, might not pursue a postsecondary degree or credential. “IUPUI is proud to partner with the city of Indianapolis and Ivy Tech on this successful initiative. Considering the important role financial resources play in decision-making about college, we are pleased to be able to help our students address financial challenges and create opportunities for Marion County residents through Indy Achieves. This increased investment will allow even more students to pursue their educational goals and build the pathway towards a successful future at IUPUI and beyond,” IUPUI Chancellor Andrew Klein said.
Lastly, in tandem with providing aid for current or future postsecondary students, Indy Achieves partners with Indianapolis schools and nonprofits to expand access to postsecondary degrees or credentials through efforts that increase the number of individuals who apply for existing financial aid programs such as 21st Century Scholars and FAFSA.
To learn more about Indy Achieves or to find out how you can partner, visit www.indyachieves.org.
The Heritage Group is a fourth-generation, family-owned, Indianapolis company that manages a diverse portfolio that specializes in heavy construction, environmental services, and specialty chemicals. They also intentionally invest in the communities where they operate.
“At The Heritage Group, we think in generations, not quarters,” said Lucy Wehlage, The Heritage Group’s Early-In-Career Talent and Program Coordinator. “And young talent…is essential for so many reasons.”
Many EmployIndy programs are aligned with The Heritage Group’s focus on outreach to such talent, and EmployIndy’s Business Partnerships team was recently able to coordinate a collaborative meeting with their talent acquisition team and representatives from Indy Achieves and Talent Bound, both EmployIndy programs.
In 2018, Mayor Joe Hogsett and the City of Indianapolis launched Indy Achieves to respond to Indianapolis’ rapidly-changing labor market with the goal of ensuring that every Marion County resident can pursue and complete a postsecondary degree or credential. The program provides scholarship money to IUPUI and Ivy Tech students and connects them with employers like the Heritage Group for job shadowing opportunities, mentorships, internships, and potential job placement.
The Heritage Group’s Early-In-Career Talent Specialist, Lexie Seward, participated in an Indy Achieves event last spring and has maintained contact with some of the students she met there. “We are committed to mentoring and developing our early-in-career talent. We know the work we put into young professionals will make a difference in the future success of our company.”
Talent Bound is one way that EmployIndy connects Marion County students to a network of engaged businesses for career education and work-based learning opportunities. This is also, of course, a great opportunity for places like The Heritage Group to get in front of, and to spread awareness of their own brand, to high school students who are starting to think about post-graduation plans.
According to Matt Simpson, Associate Director of Talent Bound, “A lot of today’s students are interested in sustainability, so it has been good for some of those students to learn that places like The Heritage Group are trying to make those ideas and interests a reality.”
If your company is looking for innovative ways to engage with young and future talent, but is not yet involved with Talent Bound, reach out to EmployIndy’s Business Partnerships team, who would be happy to help get your questions answered and your next steps moving.
That’s when Spears discovered Indy Achieves. Through the program, she received a last-dollar scholarship to cover tuition and fees not paid by other financial aid, as well as student success coaching that connected her to resources she didn’t know existed. For someone who describes herself as “very self-reliant,” asking for help wasn’t easy. But Indy Achieves changed that.