WIOA State Plan Common Elements

(A) The State’s Workforce Development Activities. Provide an analysis of the State’s workforce development activities, including education and training activities of the core programs, Combined State Plan partner programs included in this plan, and mandatory and optional one-stop delivery system partners.

Indiana’s workforce system continues to operate in 12 geographically defined regions. These regions are continuing to be evaluated based on strategies determined by WIOA for most effective funding delivery. To date, there are 21 comprehensive offices known as WorkOne Career Centers (Indiana’s term for American Job Centers) throughout the state. In addition to the comprehensive offices, Indiana has more than 50 city and county based offices. Some counties with lower population totals utilize mobile offices, which strategically travel across regions to best reach the individuals in need of services.

Each region has a workforce board with a chief elected official. The board in each region oversees regional programs and funding needs. The purpose of the board is to manage their allocations and programs to meet the needs of their specific region. One goal of the local Workforce Development Boards is to use the funding and services across Core and Partner Programs in the most efficient manner to best provide individuals with a quality outcome. The local Boards also serve employers within the region by helping meet their talent needs. Development of board training and continued professional development opportunities are currently underway. This will allow for regional board members to better understand the potential of their role and the responsibilities the board holds within the workforce system. 

In addition to the Core and Partner Programs provided through the various federal acts that contribute to the talent development system, there are a number of state programs provided that can be better integrated so Hoosier citizens and employers have their workforce needs met. Throughout Indiana’s Combined Plan, there are a number of strategies aimed at creating this alignment so the system operates effectively and efficiently for those we are serving. In 2018, Governor Holcomb worked with the Indiana General Assembly to create the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet with the goal of bringing together state agencies, employers, education and training providers, and other interested stakeholders to break down the bureaucratic silos that existed around some of these programs with the intention of providing opportunities to move all Hoosiers to the “Next Level.” Indiana is uniquely positioned to transform the various systems and programs into a singularly unified system, and this Plan is just a first step toward making that a reality. Each of the state agencies responsible for implementing partner programs are included as representatives on the Governor's Workforce Cabinet. Additionally, throughout the development of the Plan, there were three primary subcommittees that provided input and influenced the development of the Plan to be approved by the Governor's Workforce Cabinet. The Strategic Planning subcommittee had representation from the partner programs, and they were each able to discuss how each of those programs could be better supported through more strategic alignment across the talent development system. 

There are a number of regional and local programs that also operate within the workforce system and broader talent development system as a whole. By modeling better cross-agency collaboration and program integration at the state level, it is our goal for there to be better awareness and seamless delivery of the various activities and programs for individuals and employers at the local level.

Core Programs: A brief overview of each core program is outlined below. Additional information on each program can be found throughout the plan.

• Title I – Adult: Adult services funding are allocated to Indiana’s 12 regional Workforce Development Boards and are provided in three categories: basic career services, individualized career services, and follow-up services. Based upon the needs of the individual, the State of Indiana uses the appropriate activities to engage and/or re-engage a person into the workforce system. The adult program is available to anyone 18 years and older, with priority service given to those with barriers to employment (e.g., low income, long-term unemployment, ex-offender, public assistance recipient, etc.).
   
• Title I – Dislocated Worker: Dislocated Workers includes workers that: have been terminated or laid off, or have received a notice of termination or layoff from employment; is eligible for or have exhausted unemployment insurance; have demonstrated an appropriate attachment to the workforce, but is not eligible for unemployment insurance and is unlikely to return to a previous industry or occupation; have been terminated or laid off or received notification of termination or layoff from employment as a result of a permanent closure or substantial layoff; is employed at a facility where the employer has made the general announcement that the facility will close within 180 days; was self-employed (including employment as a farmer, a rancher, or a fisherman) but is unemployed as a result of general economic conditions in the community or because of a natural disaster; or is a displaced homemaker who is no longer supported by another family member.
   
• Title I – In-School Youth: In-school youth are classified as youth who are attending secondary or postsecondary schools, not younger than the age of 14 and not older than 21 (unless an individual with a disability who is attending school under state law) at time of enrollment.  These youth are from low income backgrounds and may be: basic skills deficient, an English language learner, an offender, a homeless individual or runaway, an individual in foster care or who has aged out of the foster care system, or has attained 16 years of age and left foster care for kinship guardianship or adoption, a child eligible for assistance under the social security act, an individual who is pregnant or parenting, an individual with a disability or an individual who requires additional assistance to complete an educational program or to secure or hold employment.
   
• Title I – Out-of-School Youth: Out-of-School youth are classified as youth who are not attending any school (as defined under state law), not younger than 16 nor older than 24 at the time of enrollment.  These youth may be a school dropout, a youth who is within the age of compulsory school attendance but has not attended school for at least the most recent complete school year calendar quarter; a recipient of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent who is a low-income individual and is either basic skills deficient or an English language learner; an offender; a homeless individual, a homeless child or youth, or a runaway; an individual in foster care or who has aged out of the foster care system or who has attained 16 years of age and left foster care for kinship guardianship or adoption, a child eligible for assistance under the social security act, or in and out-of- home placement; an individual who is pregnant or parenting; an individual with a disability; or a low-income individual who requires additional assistance to enter or complete an educational program or to secure or hold employment.
   
• Title II – Adult Education and Family Literacy Act: Adult education in Indiana ensure individuals have access to educational and career services. Through foundational skills development, adult education provides the remediation and advancement in academic competencies that allow Hoosiers the prospect of social and economic mobility.
   
• Title III – Wagner-Peyser: Wagner-Peyser funds provide state staff in the WorkOne Career Centers to support job seekers, to provide employer engagement and recruitment services, and to fund the labor exchange/job matching system. Employer services are also provided through an online labor exchange system or through business service staff in the WorkOnes. The goal of the Wagner-Peyser program is to bring together individuals seeking employment with employers seeking workers.
   
• Title IV – Vocational Rehabilitation: Vocational Rehabilitation services provides quality individualized services to enhance and support people with disabilities to prepare for, obtain or retain employment. Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation is a program for high school students and adults with disabilities. VR counselors can help eligible individuals with an identified disability (IEP or a 504 plan or with other physical, mental health, or learning concerns) gain skills, find a job, and start a career. 

Partner Programs: A brief overview of each partner program is outlined below. Additional information on each program can be found throughout the plan.

• Carl D. Perkins: Career and technical education programs authorized under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical: Carl D. Perkins is a funding pool provided to secondary and post-secondary career and technical education programs.  Recipients in Indiana are CTE Districts, Vincennes University, and Ivy Tech Community College.
   
• Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA): TAA assists workers who have been threatened with lay off, or have been dislocated, due to foreign trade impacts. The primary goal of the program is to assist workers with getting back to work as quickly as possible at the highest possible wage. Through dissemination of information regarding filing for unemployment benefits, training opportunities, and other necessary information to overcome difficult life circumstances. 
   
• Jobs for Veterans State Grant Programs (JVSG): JVSG funds are provided to states to fund two staff positions: the Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program Specialist (DVOP) and the Local Veterans’ Employment Representative (LVER). These positions are fully integrated into the WorkOne offices. The DVOP’s role is to provide individualized career services to veterans with significant barriers to employment (SBE) through case management; the LVER’s role is to facilitate employment opportunities and advocate on behalf of veterans with employers.
   
• Unemployment Insurance (UI): In the State of Indiana, an individual is eligible for Unemployment Insurance after submitting a claim through either the internet or through the nearest full service WorkOne Career Center. Information required to complete a claim is the last employer’s name, mailing address, phone number, and the dates of employment. Additionally, an individual must submit their address, social security number, and a telephone number.
   
• Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP): The Senior Community Service Employment Program is a community service and work-based job training program for older Americans. Participants must be at least 55 years old, unemployed, and have a family income of no more than 125 percent of the federal poverty level. Enrollment priority is given to veterans and qualified spouses, then to individuals who are over 65 years of age, have a disability, have low literacy skills or limited English proficiency, reside in a rural area, are homeless or at risk of homelessness, have low employment prospects, or have failed to find employment after using services through the WorkOne. 
   
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program: TANF provides financial assistance to families of need. To receive TANF benefits you must be an in need family with a dependent child (a person under the age of 18, or 18 if a full-time student in secondary school). These individuals/families must meet income requirements which vary dependent on the size of the assistance group.  Individuals must meet state residency, citizenship/immigration status, employment and child support assignment requirements.
   
• Employment and Training programs under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP E&T): Indiana Manpower Placement and Comprehensive Training (IMPACT) provides services designed to help recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families achieve economic self-sufficiency through education, training, job search and job placement activities. IMPACT offers much more than a job training services because it seeks to address a broad range of barriers that may inhibit individuals from seeking and maintaining employment. Over the next two years, we will evaluate potential duplicative services between IMPACT and our American Job Centers (WorkOnes) for value and outcomes. 

State Programs: A brief overview of each state program is outlined below. Additional programs and information on each program can be found throughout the plan.

Next Level Jobs: The 2017 General Assembly approved funds for the Indiana Workforce Ready Grant program and the Employer Training Grant program. These workforce development programs are part of Governor Eric Holcomb’s Next Level Indiana agenda to continue the positive momentum of our state. DWD, in coordination with the Commission for Higher Education (CHE), are working to take the state’s workforce to the next level with a focus on high priority industries and the high-demand jobs driving Indiana’s 21st century economy forward.

• The Workforce Ready Grant program covers tuition costs for students who enroll in a high-value certificate program from Ivy Tech Community College or Vincennes University. Eligible certificate programs are associated with high-demand, high-wage jobs within the following industries: Advanced Manufacturing, Building & Construction, Health & Life Sciences, IT & Business Services and Transportation & Logistics. The Workforce Ready Grant is a last dollar program, and participants may earn non-credit bearing or credit bearing credentials. The ultimate goal of the Workforce Ready Grant program is to allow individuals to enter the workforce along a career pathway at the best possible entry point.
• The Employer Training Grant program reimburses employers in high-demand business sectors up to $5,000 for each new employee that is trained, hired and retained for 6 months. There is a $50,000 reimbursement maximum for each employer. Trainee participants must be associated with high-demand, high-wage jobs that require more than a high school diploma, but less than an associate degree.

(B) The Strengths and Weaknesses of Workforce Development Activities. Provide an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the workforce development activities identified in (A), directly above.

Strength #1: The ability to align programs using the unique structure of the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet allows for flexibility to adapt to the dynamic economy.  In March of 2018, Governor Holcomb submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor a waiver request regarding the membership of Indiana’s state workforce board. After actively engaging with state employers, legislators, state agencies, and other key stakeholders, Governor Holcomb requested the State Workforce Innovative Council be replaced by the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet (GWC). The smaller cabinet would consist of 21 members, a majority of whom would be employers, and would include agency leaders from the Department of Education, the Commission for Higher Education, the Department of Workforce Development, the Office of Career Connections and Talent, and the Economic Development Corporation. In June 2018, Governor Holcomb received notification from the U.S. Department of Labor that they would grant the waiver.

As a result of receiving the waiver, the GWC was assigned several responsibilities to continue to move Indiana’s workforce system into alignment with the broader talent development system. Naturally, the GWC would oversee WIOA related efforts. However, the GWC was also tasked with evaluating the workforce and education systems, as well as recommending ways for those two systems to work in a more cohesive manner. By bringing together employers and state leaders, assigning specific workforce goals, and granting the GWC the authority to align programs for implementation that will impact Hoosiers across the talent development system, the GWC has been able to move workforce issues forward in a collaborative manner.

Because Indiana is experiencing low unemployment rates, it is important for us to take the necessary steps to ensure Hoosiers have the skills they need to secure good jobs now and into the future while our economy continues to grow. We must take advantage of the current economic conditions to provide Hoosiers with the durable and transferrable skills that will allow them the ability to adapt as technology continues to change the way in which we work.

The uniqueness of the GWC provides an opportunity for our members to be more nimble in their responses to issues facing individuals. The reduced total number of members allows for the GWC to research, discuss, and react at an accelerated rate to the ever changing economy.

Through this greater alignment between employer and state agencies, the GWC has made notable improvements in helping align Indiana’s workforce development system:

• The GWC assisted in the launch of the Indiana’s Skillful Governor’s Coaching Corps. Indiana’s Skillful Governor’s Coaching Corps, a partnership between Skillful and the State of Indiana, is an intensive program that recognizes the vital role career coaches play to bridge the gap between individuals and employers. Support from career coaches is critical to the economic growth across the state because they help guide professional advancement for thousands of Hoosiers. The Skillful Governor’s Coaching Corps gives career coaches the tools and training they need to better serve people in our rapidly changing labor market and to invest in their own personal and professional development. At the end of the program, the coaches recommend new practices and approaches to state policymakers for adoption. The inaugural Skillful Governor’s Coaching Corps in Indiana launched on March 18, 2019. The exceptional coaches that make up the Skillful Governor's Coaching Corps hail from workforce centers, community colleges, high schools, and nonprofit organizations from across the state. These cross sector teams are just one example of how we are working to create greater alignment across the entire talent development system.
   
• Transitioning the Perkins authority to the GWC from a split between three agencies will help ensure that secondary, postsecondary, and employers have input on the Perkins V state plan and will create true alignment among these entities
   

Strength #2: Indiana currently offers extensive state-supported programs for individuals and employers with a variety of needs. Through public, private, and philanthropic initiatives, Indiana has seen tremendous growth in programs to help develop Hoosiers’ skills and talent to adapt to businesses’ needs. There are a number of state and federal programs operated by many different state agencies. Through better coordination of these programs, we can reduce redundant services and provide better support to Hoosiers to reach their career aspirations. Below are just a few of the state-supported programs that work in unison to support individuals that participate in the talent development system.

• Workforce Ready Grants: The Workforce Ready Grant pays the tuition and mandatory fees for eligible high-value certificate programs at Ivy Tech Community College, Vincennes University or other approved providers. The grant is available for two (2) years and covers up to the number of credits required by the qualifying program. The grant does not cover courses that do not directly apply to the student’s certificate program. Program-specific fees and equipment are not covered.
   
• Employer Training Grants: More than one million jobs must be filled in Indiana over the next 10 years. To help Hoosier employers fill these jobs, Indiana has created the Employer Training Grant, which reimburses employers who train, hire, and retain new or incumbent workers to fill in-demand positions within recognized job fields. The Employer Training Grant is available to help fill in-demand positions within six priority sectors. The grant will reimburse employers up to $5,000 per employee who is trained, hired, and retained for six months, up to $50,000 per employer.
• The Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeships is located within the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and part of Governor Holcomb’s NextLevel Agenda. This office works with employers and education and training providers to develop and implement a framework of various work-based learning pathways for both youth and adult populations. To accomplish this, the office concentrates on three objectives: Coordinating efforts and partnering with the U.S. Department of Labor to expand registered apprenticeships; developing flexible and scalable programs that focus on the state’s key economic sectors and regional high-wage, high-demand occupations; and building public-private partnerships to increase business and industry engagement with education systems.
   
• The Adult Student Grant is offered by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. It aims to help Hoosiers with some college but no degree finish the credential or degree they have previously started. With $7.5 million in state grants plus special incentives and support programs offered by Indiana colleges and universities, You Can. Go Back. makes it easier than ever before for Hoosiers to complete their degree. Options include night, weekend and online classes, grade and debt forgiveness, tuition discounts, and $1,000 state grants available on a first-come, first-serve basis for qualifying Hoosiers.
   
• The Last Mile program prepares incarcerated individuals for successful reentry through business and technology training. The Last Mile’s approach is based on the premise that re-entry transitioning individuals must begin training during incarceration, and continued support and training will continue post-release with the end result of gainful employment. Its programs are designed so that participants develop highly marketable personal and professional skills that are relevant and competitive in today’s labor market. The training takes place in two sessions, Track 1 and Track 2. Both training sessions last six months each. Participants are placed into cohorts, leading to a collective environment where peers may encourage one another.
• The Hoosier Initiative for Re-Entry (HIRE) program provides employment assessments, financial literacy and budgeting, computer and digital literacy, conflict resolution, resume development, mock interviewing techniques, and job application assistance for incarcerated individuals prior to their release. HIRE covers all 92 counties in Indiana with 14 offices across the State of Indiana. HIRE’s year to date statistics show a 99% participant retention rate, 1,332 businesses engaged with the program, and 12,880 job placements for ex-offenders.
• The Local Career Coaching Grants provide an opportunity for schools (K-12 and postsecondary), employers, and community-based organizations to partner together to create a sustainable system for the delivery of: local, state, and national career information; the educational attainment levels needed for those careers; and provide students and adults with an opportunity to participate in experiential learning throughout their education and training to make well-informed decisions as to how to best move toward a path of economic prosperity. The ultimate goal of a sustained career coaching model is to increase the following: postsecondary attainment rates (e.g., industry-recognized credential, technical certificate, associates, bachelor’s degrees, and beyond), number of high-wage/high-demand jobs filled, and the average annual wages of the communities that apply.
• Jobs for American’s Graduates (JAG) is a state-based national non-profit organization devoted to averting secondary school aged students who have serious barriers to graduation and employment from dropping out. Governor Holcomb currently serves on the National Board of Directors for Jobs for America’s Graduates and is a staunch advocate of the program. Governor Holcomb has called for the expansion of JAG programs across the state, serving those most at risk of not reaching their high school diploma milestone.

Strength #3: Indiana’s philanthropic and sectoral partnership landscape presents extensive opportunities to partner and support Hoosier citizens and employers reach their goals.In addition to state and federal programs, the presence of local, regional, state, and national philanthropic organizations provides Indiana an opportunity to leverage public-private-philanthropic partnerships in a way few other state can. This provides Indiana the ability to better understand national best practices, innovate through pilot programs, and braid resources to scale promising practices. This allows for Hoosiers across the state, regardless if the live in rural, suburban, and urban areas, additional opportunities to receive the supports necessary to better their lives.

Indiana is also home to a thriving community of collaborative employers at both the state and local level. Through a better use of these sector partnerships, we can help identify employer needs in a more responsive manner to adjust the tools, resources, and education and training programs to reduce future skill gaps. The GWC provides these organizations with a single entry point into the talent development system. As the GWC continues to evolve, we hope to strengthen existing relationships with these organizations as well as forge new ones.

Below are just a few of the organizations that we work with to strengthen the talent development system across the state.

• TheLumina Foundation is an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. The foundation envisions a system that is easy to navigate, delivers fair results, and meets the nation’s need for talent through a broad range of credentials. Working with governmental, nonprofit, and private-sector organizations to bring about change, Lumina relies on communications outreach, meetings, and events that engage and mobilize people, state and federal policy outreach, investments in proven and promising practices, and targeted efforts to measure and evaluate progress. Through extensive and abundant research and evidence, the Lumina Foundation believes that in order to increase postsecondary attainment to the levels needed by the State, a robust group of partners must work together to build an equitable postsecondary learning system.
   
• Conexus Indiana was founded by a group of industry leaders and part of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP). Conexus maintains and grows Indiana’s competitive advantage as a global advanced manufacturing powerhouse and logistics hub. Since 2007, Conexus Indiana has engaged thousands of industry, academic, public-sector and philanthropic leaders to develop skilled talent, as well as identify and create opportunities for future business growth. Conexus has developed and delivered several programs, such as high school curriculum, internship programs, and convened industry councils to move the needle forward in the manufacturing industry.
   
• Credential Engine aims to ensure the economic stability and prosperity of Indiana. Through analyzing the workforce needs of Indiana employers, as well as the skills necessary for individuals to find living-wage employment, Credential Engine provides the foundation for important tools for both employers and students to obtain the information they need to make strategic decisions about credential and career pathways. One of the most important aspects of Credential Engine has been construction of agreed-upon competencies between postsecondary institutions. This has led to a statewide general education core, where, if a student earns the required courses, those courses are accepted to any state postsecondary institution.
   
• Skillful Indiana is a partnership between Skillful and the state of Indiana. This partnership provides an intensive program that recognizes the vital role career coaches play bridging the gap between individuals and employers, supporting economic growth across the state, and guiding professional advancement for thousands of Hoosiers. The Skillful Governor’s Coaching Corps gives coaches the tools and training they need to better serve people in our rapidly changing labor market and to invest in their own personal and professional development. At the end of the program, the coaches recommend new practices and approaches to state policymakers for adoption. The inaugural Skillful Governor’s Coaching Corps in Indiana launched on March 18, 2019. The exceptional coaches that make up the Skillful Governor's Coaching Corps hail from workforce centers, community colleges, high schools, and nonprofit organizations from across the state.
   
  In addition to the services being provided to the individual, Skill Indiana also has established a robust resource for career coaches to access. Through interactive digital training webinars, to a community of best practice online communication tool, Skillful is connecting those providing the services with the resources and supports necessary to perform their responsibilities at the highest level.
• Central Indiana Community Foundation has stated their mission is to mobilize people, ideas, and investments to make this a community where all individuals have equitable opportunity to reach their full potential. The foundation has existed for more than 100 years. In that time, they have created lasting and truly meaningful change in (central) Indiana. The continue to study and focus on: the growing gap between the affluent and the poor; the ability for children to move out of poverty or do better than his or her parents; and, how a person’s race has a profound impact on whether he or she has access to opportunities.
   
  CICF administers two general grant application rounds during May and November of each year. During these open application windows, eligible 501(c)(3) organizations may submit a request for consideration. Each request submitted will be assigned to a community leadership officer, assessed and then aligned with the fund or funds deemed most appropriate for consideration. These may include community endowed funds, donor-advised funds, field-of-interest funds or major funds held at CICF. Alignment will be determined by staff and only after an application has been fully completed and submitted for consideration.
• The Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) at the University of Indianapolis is a leader in partnering with secondary and postsecondary schools to provide early college models for students. The Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning at the University of Indianapolis provides leadership that is both cutting-edge and action-oriented. CELL currently has a network of 90 high schools across the state trained in the Early College model and in varying degrees of implementation. CELL is establishing a Rural Early College Network (RECN) through a federal Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program administered by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. The RECN will help rural Indiana schools more quickly implement the Early College (EC) high school model. Early College targets underserved students and allows them to earn both high school diplomas and up to two years of credits toward bachelor’s or associate degrees through rigorous dual credit classes supported by wrap-around services. The GWC is partnering with CELL to help align secondary and postsecondary CTE programs as another example of early college.
• Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana – The Excel Center’s mission is to change lives every day by empowering people to increase their independence and reach their potential through education, health, and employment. The Excel Center is operated by Goodwill Education Initiatives, Inc., a not-for-profit organization formed by Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana. Recognizing that nearly a half million working-age Hoosiers lack a high school diploma, Goodwill opened The Excel Center for adults in 2010. The Excel Center is a tuition-free public high school for adults offering an Indiana Core 40 high school diploma.
   
  There are currently six locations in Indianapolis — W. Michigan Street, The Meadows, Shadeland, W. 34th Street, University Heights and Decatur — and one location each in Anderson, Bloomington, Clarksville, Kokomo, Lafayette, Muncie, Noblesville, Shelbyville and Richmond. Students at The Excel Center have “coaches” who help address challenges with transportation, child care, health and family situations — circumstances that can hinder progress in school. Free child care is provided on-site for the young children of students while they are in class. The Excel Center’s locations are open year-round, mornings through evenings
• CommunityHealth Network provides an opportunity for individuals to train for, and be hired, through their bachelor of science in nursing program. Community Health allows for some flexibility with the program, as well as opportunities for individuals to gain real-world experience within the health profession. Students who complete the program may be eligible for additional opportunities to further their education in the health care field in a variety of increased responsibility roles.

Weakness #1: Limited collaboration of programs across the workforce and social services systems.

In many cases, program staff serving individuals do not have programmatic knowledge on services outside of their office or agency. We must create a better referral system. This leads to duplication of services and inefficiencies for both the individual and the state as a whole. The Governor’s Workforce Cabinet (GWC), among other responsibilities, was established to evaluate various state and federal programs, with a focus on breaking down silos, braiding funding streams to best serve the individual, and to eliminate duplicative services. Stemming from the research and analyzation of the programs, the GWC is currently monitoring return on investment for programs as well. Through consistent and perpetual evaluation, frank discussions of programs that need to be expanded and shared as best practices and those that need to be eliminated, Indiana is working towards eliminated this weakness. Most importantly, through this exercise, Indiana will be better prepared to provide the educational, occupational, and support services Hoosiers need.

Weakness #2: Insufficient awareness of potential programs and services available for Hoosiers. There are many programs available to individuals in need of a variety of services. While access is readily available, knowledge of the programs or users’ ability to engage effectively is greatly lacking. Indiana has not communicated the rapid change in the economy, and the necessity for life-long learning for employment to the extent it is needed. Purposeful engagement with employers is another weakness within this category. Employers have often relayed to the state their lack of specific skilled workforce and communication with the state to prepare the workforce for current and future needs. Indiana has responded with state programs, but has not yet been able to convey the information to all employers who may not be aware of such programing. Listening to local business and representatives within the communities and bringing those ideas to leadership will expand the ability to utilize and change systems to fit the needs expressed by individuals and by business.

Weakness #3: Concentration on the traditional talent pipeline. There are many methods Indiana could utilize to serve the needs of all Hoosiers. Methods of recruitment and training have remained consistent without thinking about the future of work and what individuals need to be prepared for a flexible, fast changing economy where life-long learning is a necessity for all. 
 

(C) State Workforce Development Capacity. Provide an analysis of the capacity of State entities to provide the workforce development activities identified in (A), above.

Through the alignment that is proposed throughout this Plan, the state seeks to create more capacity for the state and local providers to better serve Hoosiers. By better integrating state and federal programs and funding streams, there is an opportunity to grow the capacity of the entire talent development system to implement this plan. Through the leadership of Governor Holcomb and the Indiana General Assembly, the creation of the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet provides greater opportunities for cross-agency collaboration and capacity building. The partnership that exists amongst the agencies that sit on the GWC, as well as other state agencies and community organizations, helps ensure there are ample opportunities to deliver the services outlined throughout this plan. This includes continued conversations around the alignment of SNAP Employment and Training services delivered through our Family and Social Services Administration and the workforce system. Utilizing the Guiding Principles to work toward the Mission and Vision that the GWC has set forth allows for these partnerships to strengthen as we work toward implementing the bold initiatives and goals outlined throughout this plan.