Three Indiana Workforce Development Boards Chosen to Design Youth Apprenticeship Pilots
A grant from the Walton Family Foundation was awarded to the CICP Foundation, Inc. to advance the charitable activity of Ascend Indiana, and will establish a second cohort of five sites statewide that will each receive $25,000 to design their youth apprenticeship pilots. A subset of those sites will be chosen to receive follow-on funding to launch their youth apprenticeship pilots as part of the Indiana Youth Apprenticeship Accelerator.
Ascend launched the Accelerator in 2021 to expand work-based learning programs and to develop a coordinated education-to-career ecosystem that provides all students across the state, in both urban and rural areas, with additional opportunities to obtain necessary skills for today’s workforce.
Three of these new sites are Workforce Development Boards, and members of INWBA. These organizations join EmployIndy in providing youth apprenticeship programming at the Workforce Development Board level.
Congratulations to these INWBA members!
Center of Workforce Innovations (Valparaiso, Ind.)
Geographic reach: Northwest Indiana (Jasper, Lake, LaPorte, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, Starke Counties)
Quote: “The Center of Workforce Innovations (CWI) is honored to be selected as part of Ascend’s Youth Apprenticeship Accelerator program,” said Kathy Neary, strategic innovation officer, Center of Workforce Innovations. “Our work in Northwest Indiana drives an intentional focus on a sustainable workforce by connecting young adults with opportunities that lead to direct employment pathways and post-secondary education. Inclusion in this program will assist CWI to bridge a deeper connection between education, employers, and high demand, good careers by scaling work-based learning opportunities across Northwest Indiana.”
Information: The Center of Workforce Innovations’ mission is to ensure a high-quality, prepared workforce in Northwest Indiana. Their solutions range from building and maintaining broad-based partnerships to assisting individual organizations in creating targeted talent recruitment and retention strategies in Northwest Indiana.
Eastern Indiana Works (Muncie, Ind.)
Geographic reach: Eastern Indiana (Bartholomew, Decatur, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Hancock, Henry, Madison, Randolph, Rush, Shelby, Wayne, Union Counties)
Quote: “As a region, we are excited to participate in the Modern Youth Apprenticeship Accelerator cohort,” said Gus Linde, chief executive officer, Eastern Indiana Works. “Eastern Indiana Works, in partnership with the East Central Educational Service Center, are aligned to partner with our regional talent collaborative to develop and connect apprenticeship opportunities for young people in our region.”
Information: Eastern Indiana Works strives to prepare the Eastern Indiana workforce for high-demand, high-wage employment, and convenes regional private/public partners to provide funding for credential, certificate and degree programs that empower adult and youth to meet the current and future workforce needs of the Eastern Indiana economy.
Southern Indiana Works (New Albany, Ind.)
Geographic reach: Southern Indiana (Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Scott, Washington Counties)
Quote: “Southern Indiana Works is excited to become an Accelerator site for Youth Apprenticeship,” said Brittany Dougherty, vice president research and strategy, Southern Indiana Works. “We are looking forward to working with Ascend Indiana and the opportunity to advance our mission and one of our priority areas, Next Generation Talent, through youth apprenticeships.”
Information: Southern Indiana Works (SIW) is the Local Workforce Development Board and a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that leads the Talent Development Systems in Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Crawford, Scott and Washington Counties.