On Thursday afternoon, over 70 local employers, workforce leaders, and education partners gathered at Lucas Oil Stadium for Untapped, a panel and networking event designed to help local employers tackle their workforce challenges through proven work-based learning (WBL) strategies and apprenticeship-tailored solutions. Powered by EmployIndy and Ascend Indiana, the event featured panel discussions and breakout sessions designed to highlight real-world strategies tailored to the Indy region, empowering employers to confidently integrate work-based learning into their talent pipelines—and unlock the full potential of the next generation workforce.
“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.”
Talent experts from EmployIndy, Ascend Indiana, Indy Chamber, Aracamed, and the Indianapolis Airport Authority provided insights and guidance on topics like unlocking the power of WBL, launching and scaling WBL programs, preparing participants for success, integrating inclusivity, and more.
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, 48,220 WBL and career-connected learning activities were facilitated or supported by EmployIndy, including 142 Modern Apprenticeship Program (MAP) youth apprentices at 12 Marion County high schools. Additionally, 599 employers delivered career exploration, engagement, and experience activities to Marion County K–12 and postsecondary students.
What We Heard from Employers
Throughout the event, several key themes emerged from our conversations with employers:
Start small, learn, try, learn again.
Hope is not a strategy. To stand out and fill talent gaps, you have to take initiative.
Intermediary partners can help growth, but internal champions and flexibility will make it stick.
WBL transforms teams from task managers into talent mentors.
Success isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing the right things with the right partners.
What’s Next
This conversation was just the beginning. Coming soon, we’ll host a series of small roundtable events focused on key topics such as legal considerations, student preparation, and managing WBL programs as they grow.
And the momentum is strong—100% of employers who responded to our follow-up survey said they would recommend Untapped to others. We’re excited to continue the conversation and build on this energy at our next event. Please be on the lookout for future communications from EmployIndy about our next event.
To get connected to WBL resources and learn how this talent strategy can take your organization to the next level, reach out to [email protected].
“I want her to be able to follow in my footsteps and know they will lead her to greatness.”
As Trayveonshay (Tray) Stone, 21, stood watching his fellow cohort participants celebrate, he held his one-year old daughter. When asked how he was feeling, his response was simple: happy.
Tray and eleven other Indy youth were celebrating their recent completion of YouthBuild Indy’s Construction Training program. Led by EmployIndy and in partnership with AmeriCorps, YouthBuild Indy offers participants the opportunity to earn their high school equivalency (HSE), a NCCER construction certification, an AmeriCorps education award, participate in a 3-week work experience (WEX), and be placed in a job, all while getting paid to learn.
Tray shared how he struggled a lot in high school. It was difficult for him to learn in a traditional classroom setting and even when he asked for help, he still felt left behind. Like all of us, he just wanted to fit in. Sports offered a chance for him to connect with others, but when that didn’t work out, he started skipping school and eventually, stopped going altogether.
There are roughly 15,800 youth in Marion County, who are disconnected from education and employment. Like Tray, some struggled in school. Other reasons for disconnection include inadequate access to job training, homelessness, involvement with the justice system, or lack of familial support.
When he heard about YouthBuild Indy through his grandmother’s church, he reached out and got connected.
“I saw a career and an opportunity to make money. I felt like this could be the start of me finding my path,” Tray said. He shared about earning his Indiana HSE, as a part of the program, through Marian University. He went on to express his gratitude for several intangibles he’s taken away from the experience as well, such as learning patience, better communication skills, and dealing with his personal trauma. As a part of the 18-week program, participants also complete the YES Indy Power Huddle, a two-week job readiness experience with a focus on moving from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.
Tray is currently applying the skills he learned in the program at Godby Hearth & Home, working as an installer. Looking to the future, he hopes to stay in construction and focus on carpentry, which is something he really enjoys doing. No matter where his career path takes him, he feels this experience has helped him “learn how to be a better dad, a better son, a better brother, and a better spouse.”
To learn more about YouthBuild Indy and get connected to future opportunities, visit www.youthbuildindy.org.
Anthony Parish, a graduate of YouthBuild Indy, honored with 2024 YouthBuild AmeriCorps Spirit of Service Award
INDIANAPOLIS, AUGUST 15, 2024 — Anthony Parish, a graduate of YouthBuild Indy, has been nationally recognized for his outstanding leadership through service. Parish, 23, was selected from thousands of members across the country to receive one of four awards given out by YouthBuild USA for their annual Spirit of Service Awards. The winners were announced at the State of YouthBuild USA AmeriCorps and Member Award Presentation on August 15. Parish was selected to receive the Member of the Year award for his commitment to personal growth and serving the Indianapolis community.
YouthBuild Indy, an EmployIndy led training program, offers young people the opportunity to obtain industry certifications, develop job readiness skills, receive adult basic education preparation, and hands-on paid work experiences. Parish came to YouthBuild Indy with the goal of completing his education and beginning a career in construction, determined to create a better future for himself and his family. That determination continued while overcoming personal challenges, and renewed itself afterward, speaking to his strength and commitment to personal growth. While in the program, Parish earned his high-school equivalency, National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) certifications and Carpentry 1 certification, demonstrating his dedication, aptitude and desire to begin his career.
“Being an AmeriCorps member has helped shift my mindset,” Parish said. “Before I was just thinking about the day and how I would be able to take care of myself and my family at that time. Now, I am always thinking about what’s next for the future and not just day to day. I am setting goals for myself, learning how I can achieve them and taking the steps to get there.”
Staff members cite his leadership and supportive nature as valued contributions to the program. Being one of the first participants in the program to earn his NCCER certification, Parish would help his peers study and quiz them ahead of testing. Always willing to lend a hand, he even provided fellow students with rides as they made their way to the YouthBuild Indy facility or external construction site. When additional work was required for a home rehabilitation project during winter break, Parish decided to go to the worksite every day to help complete the project. This level of dedication allowed him to forge a deeper professional connection with the construction trainer and opened the door for his Carpentry 1 certification. With a strong work ethic and a desire to transform his life through service, Parish embodies the values of the YouthBuild AmeriCorps program.
“Anthony has demonstrated his dedication to the program, capability in jump-starting his career, and giving back to peers and future generations,” said Yolanda Mattox, Community Partnerships Manager at YouthBuild Indy. “Anthony’s success not only benefits him but also serves as an inspiration to others facing similar challenges. His journey showcases the transformative power of education, training and community support in overcoming obstacles and achieving one’s goals. We are so proud of him.”
YouthBuild USA has been an AmeriCorps grantee since AmeriCorps’ inception in 1994. Since then, YouthBuild USA has enrolled more than 51,000 AmeriCorps members who have generated millions of direct service hours, including developing or repairing thousands of units of affordable housing for low-income individuals and families. More than 13,000 YouthBuild AmeriCorps members have earned their high school equivalency and a total of $43 million in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards.
Approximately 2,148 YouthBuild AmeriCorps members in 59 programs across 26 states build affordable housing and provide community healthcare, conservation efforts, recycling and sustainability, computer infrastructure, and child development services for individuals and families. Over the next year, YouthBuild AmeriCorps members will provide more than 750,000 direct service hours and will build at least 240 units of affordable housing for low-income individuals and families.
YouthBuild USA is the nonprofit support center for a global network of more than 280 local YouthBuild programs in 15 countries, with 223 programs in 47 U.S. states and territories and 61 programs in 14 other countries. With love and respect, YouthBuild partners with opportunity youth to build the skillsets and mindsets that lead to lifelong learning, livelihood and leadership. Responding to the urgent need for knowledge, training and opportunity, YouthBuild primarily serves young people who lack a high school diploma and financial resources.
“While transforming their lives through service, YouthBuild AmeriCorps members become the leaders they were always meant to be — and that our world needs,” said John Valverde, president and CEO of YouthBuild USA. “We are so proud of Anthony, whose example reverberates across the county. YouthBuild is honored to partner with him in his journey.”
Nothing brings people together in Indiana more than a good game of basketball. When two teams tipped off the 2023 YES Indy Pivot League championship game at Mount Carmel Church in Indianapolis, the gym was filled with excitement as spectators were treated to a high-energy game. During halftime, EmployIndy’s Executive Vice President of Workforce Solutions, Rev. Rodney Francis, and District 14 Councillor, La Keisha Jackson, recognized this year’s sponsors for their support in elevating the Pivot League and local community efforts. The evening concluded with an awards ceremony where the winning team, representing the Community Alliance of the Far Eastside (CAFE), was awarded a check for $3,000.
The YES Indy PIVOT League is an 8-week basketball league, first launched in 2021, designed to bring young adults into a safe place where they can build relationships and connect to services that help them move forward in their education and career. In Central Indiana, there are roughly 30,000 Opportunity Youth, or young people, ages 16-24, who are not currently engaged in education or the workforce. The mission of EmployIndy’s “Youth Employment System” (YES) and the Pivot League is to create a positive trajectory for these young adults by getting them re-engaged and providing opportunities and pathways to prepare them for future success.
“The PIVOT League grew out of our Re-Engagement Centers (RECs), which offer open gym basketball as a workforce recruitment strategy to re-engage disconnected young adults,” said Rev. Francis. “It’s the only league primarily focused on improving players’ stats off the court.” To participate in the League, young adults must “pivot” towards engagement in education by enrolling in a GED/HSE program, college, industry training, or YES Indy, or by being connected to gainful employment.
“I signed up for the basketball league because I think my team can win it,” said Duran Lewis, Pivot League participant. “ I also recently completed a Power Huddle with YES Indy and I got some good life lessons out of it. It taught me to be myself, keep pushing, and most of all to be grateful. Right now I am in the YouthBuild program and I enrolled to get my GED through Edna Martin Christian Center at Martin University.”
One way that YES Indy helps to break down mindset barriers for young people, regardless of their history, is through the YES Indy Power Huddle program, a two-week job readiness experience where individuals learn how they can change their future trajectory as well as develop a variety of employability skills that will help them map out and work towards reaching their academic, career, and life goals. For young people like Duran, getting involved on the court through open gyms at a YES Indy REC or through participating in the Pivot League often leads to getting connected to helpful programs and services off the court, like the Power Huddle.
“The City League understands the power that basketball holds in our culture. We are excited to work with EmployIndy to bring high-level basketball to the young men of Indianapolis, while also helping participants get connected to people and training, giving them the necessary opportunities to move forward in life.” said Austin Taylor, Executive Director of The City League. As a key partner and organizer for the Pivot League, The City League’s reputation as a leader in organizing high-level basketball in our city has been an important asset as the Pivot League seeks to attract players and fans.
EmployIndy’s partnership with Mt. Carmel Church has also been a key component of the league as it seeks to create a safe space for players to grow off the court as well as on it. “Mt. Carmel Church is a church of the community, finding ways to demonstrate our love for God and our neighbor through education and socially, and financially empowering our community,” said Rev. Lola Bartlett, a Mt. Carmel Church staff member. “Working with YES Indy and The City League helps us in fulfilling our mission by educating our young men and providing them with a constructive place to practice being a team in the game and in life.“
The Pivot League would like to extend a big thank you to this year’s volunteers and organizations that make this collaborative league possible. This year’s sponsors include Finish Line Foundation, Training for Success LLC, Turner Housing, Mt. Carmel Church, EmployIndy, CAFE, FASTENAL, and Heritage Group.
The Pivot League will return in the Spring of 2024, but YES Indy RECs and The City League will continue to offer ongoing opportunities for young people in our city, through open gym sessions at the YES Indy RECs and other basketball tournaments throughout the year via The City League. If you’re a young person looking to get connected to employment services, visit the YES Indy website.
For Indianapolis employers or community partners who are interested in participating and sponsoring the 2024 Pivot League, please fill out the league sponsor form.
This week, EmployIndy is celebrating National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) to showcase the successes and value of apprenticeships for building new career pathways that address both the talent shortages that continue to challenge businesses across Central Indiana and the desire from workers for more options for obtaining good jobs.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, NAW is a nationwide celebration taking place from November 17-23, 2024, where employers, industry representatives, labor organizations, community-based organizations, workforce partners, educational institutions, and federal, state, and local government agencies host events to showcase the successes and value of Registered Apprenticeships for strengthening our economy by developing a highly skilled workforce to meet industry needs, creating pathways for career seekers to catapult into good jobs, and advancing racial and gender equity.
As Marion County’s workforce intermediary, EmployIndy plays a key role in supporting the apprenticeship movement for job seekers and employers in Indianapolis. Through our Modern Apprenticeship Program (MAP), we’ve placed 142 youth apprentices with 46 local employers, providing a strategic solution for employers to close the skills gap while developing a workforce prepared to meet future demands. For the student, MAP helps them gain hands-on job experience and an opportunity to earn money, college credit, and professional connections in growing fields such as business, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and information technology (IT), resulting in more options when deciding what comes next after high school.
EmployIndy also supports pre-apprenticeship programs that puts individuals on a path to financial stability in trades like construction. Through YouthBuild Indy, EmployIndy offers young people the opportunity to obtain industry certifications, develop job readiness skills, receive adult basic education preparation, and hands-on paid work experiences. A graduate of the program, Anthony Parish, was recently nationally recognized by YouthBuild USA for his outstanding leadership through service.
EmployIndy and our network of Community-Based Organizations (CBO) also help job seekers identify and take advantage of unique pathways to good jobs including pre-apprenticeship programs like Indiana Plan which provides construction training to minorities and disadvantaged workers in Indiana. This summer, Joseph Webster, a job seeker struggling with housing insecurity and transportation barriers, benefitted from our connections within the workforce ecosystem. After obtaining his OSHA 30 certification through EmployIndy CBO partners Key2Work and RecycleForce, Webster was referred by EmployIndy to Indiana Plan where he became a standout member of his training cohort and ultimately secured an apprenticeship with Central Midwest Carpenters.
EmployIndy’s leadership in the apprenticeship space extends through our role as a convener of apprenticeship stakeholders as well. In September, Indianapolis hosted the 2024 National Youth Apprenticeship Summit. Alongside our partners CareerWise USA and PAYA, who organized the conference, EmployIndy helped highlight the importance of collaboration between intermediaries, like us, who are key to scaling youth apprenticeships. We also led site visits at several of our MAP employers to give summit attendees a look into the workplaces where our youth apprentices are making a real impact.
Additionally, to maximize the reach of National Apprenticeship Week and call upon partner organizations and apprenticeship stakeholders throughout Central Indiana to recognize the value of Registered Apprenticeship, Mayor Joe Hogsett and the City of Indianapolis have partnered with EmployIndy to recognize National Apprenticeship Week in Indianapolis through an official mayoral proclamation.
We encourage you to join us this week in celebrating the recent growth and impact of apprenticeships in Marion County while looking forward to the progress ahead.
Kiara Reed and Anthony Parish, participants of EmployIndy’s YouthBuild Indy program, were selected to join more than 40 other young leaders in Washington, D.C. at the 36th Annual YouthBuild AmeriCorps Conference of Young Leaders (CoYL) in late 2024.
Through CoYL, YouthBuild AmeriCorps students are brought together to fully experience the breadth and impact of YouthBuild’s global movement rooted in leadership, service, education and job skills training. Participants further develop their leadership skills and network with current and former students from YouthBuild programs across the country.
YouthBuild Indy, one of 247 local programs across the U.S. that partner with opportunity youth—young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 who are neither in school nor employed— offers young people the opportunity to build the skillsets and mindsets that lead to lifelong learning, livelihood and leadership. As a part of EmployIndy’s Coaching + Training efforts, YouthBuild 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. Last program year, 10,923 clients and participants enrolled in coaching and training through EmployIndy programs and initiatives, with 275 certifications earned in advanced trainings.
“As businesses grow and the demand for workers with specialized skills and postsecondary training increases, it’s inspiring to see the hard work of young people like Kiara and Anthony as they obtain certifications that will help them succeed in a rapidly changing economy,” says Marie Mackintosh, President + CEO of EmployIndy. “We’re honored to have them representing YouthBuild Indy in our nation’s capital.”
Throughout the three-day conference, participants explored this year’s theme, “Lead Well. Be Well.”, as they broadened their skills and deepened their knowledge to create positive change in their communities. Having overcame personal challenges and displayed leadership in their time in the program, including Parish receiving an outstanding leadership through service award from YouthBuild national, both Reed and Parish were chosen by their fellow students and YouthBuild Indy staff to participate in CoYL.
“When YouthBuild students experience the breadth and depth of the entire YouthBuild movement outside of their individual local programs, they see yet another example of their collective strength and potential to change the world,” said John Valverde, president and CEO of YouthBuild Global. “By making these connections during our Conference of Young Leaders, context is gathered, and lifelong friendships are made. These young leaders bring a larger worldview, and even greater purpose, back to their communities.”
YouthBuild champions opportunity youth as they achieve their ambitions and reach their full potential. In YouthBuild programs around the world, young people who are out of school and out of work reclaim their education, gain job skills, and become leaders in their communities through service and civic engagement. These young people are in greatest need of our support, and they are our greatest source of untapped potential to create more equitable economic growth and transform the world. In YouthBuild’s environment of love, respect, high expectations, belonging, and agency, young people overcome barriers and build long-term professional and personal success.
Learn more about YouthBuild Indy and register for upcoming program opportunities at www.youthbuildindy.org.
