WIOA State Plan Common Elements

THIS SECTION OF THE ORIGINAL STATE PLAN HAS BEEN DELETED AND UPDATED IN 2022 WITH THE TEXT BELOW.

Note: Information from several segments below is further detailed in the Indiana Department of Workforce Development’s (DWD) most recent Indiana Economic Analysis Report (see Economic and Workforce Analysis sections at:  https://www.hoosierdata.in.gov/docs/annual_econ_analysis/ETA_INDIANA%20ECONOMIC%20ANALYSIS%20REPORT%20PY2020.pdf)

Employment and Wages: Indiana had seen steady employment recovery following the Great Recession. This trend changed in 2020. In 2020 the average annual employment level was 2,535,558 for private employment and 2,918,792 for all public and private sectors.  Those numbers are a loss of 159,019 public and private sector jobs. This was due to the Covid-19 pandemic and economic downturn that followed.  Average weekly wages have risen to $999 for all Industries. The following charts summarize Indiana’s 2020 Employment from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program.

Average annual/weekly wages are affected by the ratio of full-time to part-time workers, as well as the number of individuals in high-paying versus low-paying occupations. The chart presented on the following pages shows the historical annual averages from 2004-2018 with 2018 showing a 3.1% increase from 2017. Over this time, several sectors experienced a more dramatic percentage change while other sectors were modest in their increase. The highest increases were IT wages increasing by 27.6% and Healthcare and Social Services increasing 25%. Other industries with healthy wage increases included Real Estate and Rental & Leasing at 21.2% and Finance & Insurance and Accommodation & Food Services both at 18.5%, and Administrative Support and Waste Services at 18.1%. The slowest wage increases from 2013-2018 were in Manufacturing (11.1%), Construction (9.1%), and Mining (4.7%).[1] Deeper analysis of job growth and wage gains, as shown in the chart below, shows that nearly every industry sector saw employment and wage gains throughout 2018:

Unemployment Rates and Labor Force Participation: Indiana’s unemployment rate dropped from a twenty- year peak of 10.5% in 2010, to 7.1% in 2019.  The Labor Force and low unemployment rate had been stable for Indiana in 2019. That would abruptly change in the first half of 2020 due to the pandemic.  The pandemic caused the highest annual unemployment rate since 2013 and the lowest Annual Labor Force since 2015. Indiana’s annual unemployment rate dropped every year from 2010 to 2019. The Indiana unemployment rate was below or equal to the national rate from September 2013 to March 2020.  This stopped abruptly in April 2020 due to the pandemic and economic shut down.  Since April 2020 the Indiana rate has declined steadily and has been below the national unemployment rate since May 2020. Indiana’s annual unemployment rate was 8.1%.

Indiana Regional Labor Force Data

According to the latest US Census data, Indiana’s total population is estimated to be 6,805,985. To disaggregate the labor force by race among the total population:

• Individuals who are Caucasian represent 84.8% (5,771,475 individuals);
• Those who are black or African-American represent 9.9% (673,793 individuals);
• Hispanic and Latino persons represent 7.32% (496,837 individuals); and
• Those who identify as two or more races represent 2.3% individuals (155,176 persons).[4] Asian persons represent 2.6% (173,553 individuals)

Unemployment Claims by Industry

The manufacturing and construction industries historically have been leading industries with unemployment claims. As a result of the 2020 Pandemic manufacturing accounted for over 60% of claims in 2020.

Indiana 2010-2020 Claims by Industry

As the decade continued to progress, the growing citizenship in Indiana has increased by 4.7% between 2010 and July 1, 2020. This positive growth in the population alone is not enough to fulfill the labor force needs of the state. Indiana’s labor participation rate is 64.4%, which is higher than the U.S. labor force participation rate of 63%.[6] While these data points are important, Indiana must still meet the challenge of filling one millions jobs over the next 10 years. As previously reported, 700,000 workers will need to be replaced during that 10 year timeline. A majority of those within this category will be retirees. The remaining 300,000 projected job needs will stem from new job growth. We must find ways to continue to increase awareness for occupational opportunities and the education and training necessary to develop the skills needed as our economy changes. Creating awareness and access will help increase our labor force participation rate. While better than the national average, we can work with Hoosier citizens that are disconnected from the workforce to transition them to employment. Additionally, we can create more opportunities for employers to engage with alternative talent pipelines. One such example is Indiana’s focus on providing education and training opportunities for the state’s prison population and better serving individuals with disabilities to provide greater access to the skills necessary for employment in a 21st Century economy. Creating opportunities for these populations to be included in the talent pool, is one priority outlined throughout the state plan. 

Education and Skill Level: Indiana has set a lofty goal for at least 60% of all working age Hoosiers to have a quality credential beyond high school by 2025. This goal aligns with the changing needs of Indiana’s workforce and technological changes that are impacting every industry sector. According to Lumina’s, A Stronger Nation, Indiana has made progress toward our postsecondary attainment goal (48.3%), but we still lag behind the nation average (51.9%). The report utilizes a combination of attainment rates as reported through the US Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) and an estimate for the number of high-value postsecondary certificates that may be less than an associate’s degree. As illustrated below, the education attainment for Indiana’s residents ages 25 through 64.[7]

In 2017, 63% of high school graduates enrolled directly in some type of postsecondary program. This number has declined slightly in recent years, and may be due to the number of job vacancies as a result of Indiana’s strong economy. Regardless of the reason, Indiana will continue to provide career coaching and navigation to students and adults on the significant benefits to obtaining a quality credential beyond high school. Additionally, Indiana’s new Graduation Pathways, as well as a better aligned Career and Technical Education program, will offer students more opportunities to earn quality credentials prior to high school graduation. This alignment paired with the state’s strong community college and university system, ensure that regardless of where an individual is in their career and learning continuum, that there are options to advance one’s education and career.

One area of focus highlighted throughout the Plan is to better serve those individuals without a high school diploma. This population represents an opportunity for individuals and employers alike to meet the talent needs of the changing economy. In Indiana, over 460,000 individuals, ages 18-64, do not have a high school diploma or high school equivalency. While the total number of individuals without a high school diploma are located in metropolitan cities, such as Indianapolis, Gary, and Fort Wayne, it is often the case that the percentage of individuals without a high school diploma is much higher in rural communities. For instance, in Daviess County, over 25% of Hoosiers do not hold a high school diploma. The map below shows how our population without a high school diploma is distributed throughout the state. Better integration between the workforce development system, adult education, career and technical education, postsecondary education, community-based organizations, and our employer community are needed to help connect these individuals to the education and training and supports necessary for career advancement.

Additionally, the state has taken on a cross state collaboration project, aimed at ensuring there is support throughout the workforce systems for essential workers, with an increased focus on minority populations and individuals with barriers. This work is being done with five other states and will produce for Indiana a data profile to specifically assess and evaluate these populations. The result will be an increased focus on the areas that expose gaps in service or greater density of need. 

Our biggest skills gap continues to be our lagging educational attainment rate. Improvement in this area will not only impact an individual's ability to access higher wage opportunities, but it will enable opportunities for economic growth and higher-skilled positions within every sector of the state's economy. One role the GWC plays in the talent development system is to better understand how the education system, economic development, workforce, and social service systems can be better aligned. Through the convening power of the GWC and the Governor’s focus on finding solutions to the workforce issues of today and tomorrow, we can improve the education and skill attainment for all Hoosiers. By pulling together partner programs (SNAP, TANF, K-12, postsecondary, CTE, WIOA, AE, corrections, etc.), the GWC can help coordinate education, training, and employment service programs to ensure that all Hoosiers are accessing programs that continue to provide them with opportunities for advancement.

In addition to educational attainment, the message from businesses has become increasingly clear. While there are a variety of specific skill sets in Indiana’s high demand sectors, the focus on those skills most in need remain basic technological skills not specific to any singular software or tool, but rather the ability to learn through and operate technical systems and components. Along with the need for basic technological skills, the ability to learn new skills, or more commonly referred to as soft skills remains of highest priority. In an economic environment with such susceptibility to rapid change, employees need these basic skills to be able to quickly adapt to maintain employment or gain new employment.

As we continue to assess all of the very specific skill sets required for these high demand sectors, the skill sets mentioned above rise above them all. Businesses in Indiana have a strong desire to teach all of the specific skills necessary to do their many jobs that are available. Highlighted below are a few of the industries with higher concentrations of jobs available and their more common skills sets in Indiana:

Manufacturing: Establishments in the Manufacturing sector are often described as plants, factories, or mills and characteristically use power-driven machines and materials-handling equipment and require these skills to complete this work. However, establishments that transform materials or substances into new products by hand or in the worker's home and those engaged in selling to the general public products made on the same premises from which they are sold, such as bakeries, candy stores, and custom tailors, may also be included in this sector and would subsequently require this additional unique skill set. Manufacturing establishments may process materials or may contract with other establishments to process their materials for them. Both types of establishments are included in manufacturing and have a very common set of skills required to complete these jobs and their associated tasks.

Healthcare: The Health Care and Social Assistance sector comprises establishments providing health care and social assistance for individuals. The sector includes both health care and social assistance because it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between the boundaries of these two activities and their more commonly related skill sets. The industries in this sector are arranged on a continuum starting with those establishments providing medical care exclusively, continuing with those providing health care and social assistance, and finally finishing with those providing only social assistance. The services provided by establishments in this sector are delivered by trained professionals with very specific skill sets tailored to their occupation and often have licensure that require educational attainment to obtain a job. All industries in the sector share this commonality of process, namely, labor inputs of health practitioners or social workers with the requisite expertise. Many of the industries in the sector are defined based on the educational degree held by the practitioners included in the industry.

Retail Trade: The Retail Trade sector comprises establishments engaged in retailing merchandise, generally without transformation, and rendering services incidental to the sale of merchandise. The retailing process is the final step in the distribution of merchandise; retailers are, therefore, organized to sell merchandise in small quantities to the general public. This sector comprises two main types of retailers: store and non-store retailers.

The skill sets within this industry are common across many of the occupations in this industry and especially comprise the basic technological skills and soft skills to obtain these types of jobs.

1. Store retailers operate fixed point-of-sale locations, located and designed to attract a high volume of walk-in customers-the need for these customer service skills is imperative for these particular types of occupations. In general, retail stores have extensive displays of merchandise and use mass-media advertising to attract customers. They typically sell merchandise to the general public for personal or household consumption, but some also serve business and institutional clients. In addition to retailing merchandise, some types of store retailers are also engaged in the provision of after-sales services, such as repair and installation.

2. Nonstore retailers, like store retailers, are organized to serve the general public, but their retailing methods differ. The establishments of this subsector reach customers and market merchandise with methods, such as the broadcasting of "infomercials," the broadcasting and publishing of direct-response advertising, the publishing of paper and electronic catalogs, door-to-door solicitation, in-home demonstration, selling from portable stalls (street vendors, except food), and distribution through vending machines. While these occupations also have a need for customer service skills, an additional level of skill is needed in areas such as planning and organization.

[1] Indiana Department of Workforce Development. Indiana Economic Analysis Report.

[2] Indiana Department of Workforce Development, 2019. October 2019 Employment Briefing.

[3] United States Census Bureau, 2019. Quick Facts: Indiana.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Indiana Department of Workforce Development: Indiana Economic Analysis Report.

[6] Indiana Department of Workforce Development. October 2019 Employment Briefing.

[7] Lumina Foundation, 2019. A Stronger Nation.

Populations with Barriers to Employment.

We must recognize the diverse populations and corresponding needs served by the state’s workforce system, including those who are unemployed or underemployed, those seeking additional education to advance their careers, and those facing barriers to employment. Some Hoosiers will pass through the system with minimal support, while others will require multiple resources. Ensuring equitable access to the talent development system will concretize the expectation of greater economic mobility throughout Indiana.

The sections below highlight some specific populations with employment barriers.

Veterans. Nationally, there are 18.5 million veterans living in the United States today. Sixty-seven percent of veterans are 55 or older, and roughly one-third of veterans served during the first Gulf War era or in military engagements since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. More recent veterans are more diverse in terms of gender, race and ethnicity than those who served in prior wars: nearly 18% of veterans who enlisted since 2001 are women, and recent veterans are more likely to identify as African-American (15.9%) or Latino (13.7%) than past generations of veterans. The largest difference between veterans and nonveterans is among those between 25 to 34 years old. Male veterans in this age range have an unemployment rate of 6.1%, compared to 4.5% for their peers. Female veterans between the ages of 25 and 34 have an unemployment rate of 7.9%, compared to 4.5% for their nonveteran counterparts.[1]

The Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 409,836 veterans lived in this state as of 2017. Marion County has the largest number of veterans at more than 51,600, though with 3,200 veterans, Miami County boasts the largest percentage of veterans (9%) relative to its total population. Approximately half of the state’s veterans are 65 and older, and the majority of Hoosier veterans served during the Vietnam War with veterans with military services post-1990 as the second largest constituency.[2]

Though high school diploma attainment is higher for veterans than nonveterans, postsecondary attainment rates, particularly bachelor’s degrees, is lower.

Veterans, however, tend to report higher incomes with the median annual income for veterans overall exceeding $37,600, compared to about $28,500 for nonveterans. This trend continues for median incomes disaggregated by gender.[3]

Veterans are employed in a variety of fields throughout the US. Among male veterans, management, transportation, and sales are the most common occupations, whereas female veterans are concentrated in office and administrative support, healthcare, and management occupations.[4]

There is an estimated 478,900 spouses of active-duty military personnel in the US. Over half of all military spouses are 30 years of age or younger. Approximately 66% of military spouses are in the workforce, including 41% in the civilian labor force, 13% in the armed forces, and 12% currently unemployed and seeking work. Military spouses are educationally and occupationally diverse. Eighty-four percent have some college education or higher; 35% have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Similar to our other target populations, unemployment rates are strongly associated with levels of education obtained. Higher levels of education are generally associated with lower rates of unemployment among military spouses.

Nearly one-third of active duty military spouses, however, are underemployed or earn less than their civilian peers.

The underemployment of military spouses also correlates with postsecondary attainment – whereas higher levels of education are associated with a reduced chance of unemployment for military spouses, higher levels of education are associated with a higher likelihood of underemployment.

The economic impact of unemployment and underemployment of military spouses is estimated to be between $710 million to $1.07 billion per year, including lost income tax and unemployment and healthcare benefits paid. Employment of military spouses plays a significant role in the decision of military members to leave or remain in the service.[6]

Licensure tends to present a significant hurdle to securing employment for both veterans and active duty spouses. Because of the frequent moves and short periods to prepare for new state requirements, spouses can find it difficult to transfer their licenses across states. Their employment can be negatively impacted by the time it takes to acquire a license, uncertainty about the transferability of their licenses across state lines, and lack of temporary or provisional licensure options. For active duty military spouses, barriers to securing stable employment stem from frequent moves and parenting responsibilities, as well as obstacles with varying state occupational licensing regulations.[7] Spouses of National Guard members, however, may face different obstacles to employment unrelated to relocation. One example might be the struggle and expense of balancing work and home responsibilities.

Though many US veterans transition to civilian life successfully, some veterans face transitional challenges, particularly around securing employment. The challenge of finding a job contributes to the 70% of veterans who report significant difficulty making the transition back to civilian life. Underemployment may be a particular challenge many veterans experience when returning to civilian life, due to their training in a variety of occupations and professions while enlisted.[8] Licensing regulations can put veterans at a disadvantage when competing for work with a similarly skilled person trained in the private sector. These challenges can lead to or exacerbate mental and physical health problems. Veterans returning to civilian life may also find it difficult to translate their skills to the workforce and market themselves for job opportunities. The Veterans Opportunity to Work Act, enacted in 2011, enabled the US Department of Labor to create a crosswalk of military skills and occupations that correlate with potentially 962 civilian occupations.[9] Despite the skill overlap, veterans still face difficulties translating these experiences to civilian occupations.

The primary barriers veterans and active duty spouses face to stable employment include:

• The costs of training or education programs: Many veterans who received military training in an occupation may only need a few additional hours or an additional course before being eligible for a license or getting up-to-date with the civilian industry. They are often required to start over, incurring both financial and opportunity costs. Similarly, military spouses with different state licenses or degrees often must spend both time and money to comply with specific Indiana rules and regulations. Military spouses may choose to not seek licensure once they move, perpetuating unemployment and underemployment trends with this population.
• The applicability of prior training: Occupation-specific training completed as part of military service may not be recognized in licensing regulations or as part of degree tracks. Though many military occupations provide similar training equivalent to civilian occupational training, ensuring clear and consistent recognition of applicable skills and experiences can facilitate a veteran’s transition into the civilian labor force. As occupational licensing regulations vary between states, occupational standards may also differ. Due to the frequency of their moves, military spouses are often faced with the requirement to reapply for licensure for the occupation or profession in which they already work, because their current license or work experience may not be sufficient. The Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) has worked with Ivy Tech Community College to identify best practices related to the transferability of skills to be used toward credit via prior learning assessments. This is something that we will continue to look to improve.

Compounding the issues of communication and process, a significant lack of data at occupational licensure boards regarding the licensing of military spouses can create additional barriers for this target population. Improving data collection for this population could lead to identifying board members who are responsive to this group and any remaining barriers to licensure.[10]

To increase the effectiveness of our services for Hoosier veterans, Indiana has centralized the point of contact for these individuals within state government. The Indiana Department of Veteran Affairs (IDVA) serves as one of the primary connection point for Hoosier veterans; IDVA is generally the first point of contact for many veterans seeking services the state may offer. WorkOnes, however, also serve as first responders to veterans’ needs. Both WorkOnes and IDVA guide veterans towards services available through federal funds and specialized staff members, as well as other social services through both federal and state agencies. IDVA and the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) have an established partnership agreement outlining responsibilities to streamline programmatic efficiency and reduce potential duplicative efforts. For example, the Indiana National Guard partners with DWD, INVets, and IDVA to help bring exiting military to Indiana to continue their service in the Indiana National Guard and attain employment at hundreds of Indiana’s top businesses.

County Veteran Service Officers are trained and certified by IDVA. Through this unique partnership between DWD and IDVA, we can ensure that staff of our principal workforce development programs for veterans, Jobs for Veterans State Grant (Partner Program), as well as the County Veteran Service officers, are cross-trained to be aware of all of the services that veterans may be eligible for, so they can be referred and directed appropriately. As we look to further this relationship, we can begin to better understand the quality of the referral processes and related outcomes for the services provided to veterans.  

1. National Conference of State Legislatures, 2018. Barriers to Work: Veterans and MilitarySpouses: Improving Access to Licensed Occupations for Veterans and Military Families.
2. INContext, 2018. Veterans in Indiana.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Blue Star Families, 2018. 2018 Military Family Lifestyle Survey Results.
6. Blue Star Families, 2016. Social Cost Analysis of the Unemployment and Underemploymentof Military Spouses.
7. Ibid.
8. Castro et al., 2014. The State Of The American Veteran: The Los Angeles County VeteransStudy.
9. National Conference of State Legislatures, 2018. Barriers to Work: Veterans and MilitarySpouses: Improving Access to Licensed Occupations for Veterans and Military Families.
10. Ibid.

Individuals with disabilities. https://www.in.gov/fssa/ddrs/files/CSNA-working-draft-2021.pdf). The Needs Assessment covered economic and labor market analysis of the disability population. A few applicable sections have been pulled and highlighted below:

According to the 2020 Census, Indiana’s population is 6,785,528 (Census, n.d.), and 13.7% among the noninstitutionalized population in 2015-2019 (nearly 930,000), age 18-64, reported a disability. This is a slight decrease compared to 2012-2016 (14%). The American Community Survey, 2015-2019 five-year estimates can be found at the Census website:  https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs.

The U.S. Department of Labor December 2021 disability employment statistics reports the following for individuals ages 16 and over:

Labor Force Participation

• People with disabilities: 22.3% (increase from 20.5% in 2020)
• People without disabilities: 67.2% (increase from 67.1% in 2020)

Unemployment Rate

• People with disabilities: 7.9% (decrease from 12.6% in 2020)
• People without disabilities: 3.5% (decrease from 7.9% in 2020)

7.9% of the projected disability population in Indiana, or approximately 73,000, is an estimate of the number of individuals with disabilities in Indiana with a disability who are seeking employment and may be eligible for VR services.

2021 data from the U.S. DOL shows the following labor force participation and unemployment rate for youth:

Labor Force Participation for Youth:

• Age 16-19 with Disability: 24.3%
• Age 16-19 with No Disability: 36.8%
• Age 20-24 with Disability: 46.7%
• Age 20-24 with No Disability: 72%

Unemployment Rate for Youth:

• Age 16-19 with Disability: 21.1%
• Age 16-19 with No Disability: 11.4%
• Age 20-24 with Disability: 16.5%
• Age 20-24 with No Disability: 8.7%

StateData of the Institute for Community Inclusion provides online data regarding day and employment services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Data for 2019 (StateData, n.d.) indicates that the number of Indiana individuals in day and employment services was 13,883 with funding of $66,314,010. The total number in integrated employment in Indiana was 13% (an 3% increase from 2016), while nationwide it was 22% (also a 3% increase from 2016). Indiana’s funding for integrated employment was 3.9% of the spending, while nationwide it was 11.3%.

The mean hourly wages and hours worked for 2017/2018 was also provided (StateData, n.d). Indiana had 17% of the individuals working in integrated settings compared to the nation’s 19% in integrated employment of all types. Of these, 17% in Indiana were in individual jobs with 14% nationwide. The mean wage in Indiana was $8.73 for 30.1 hours worked, while nationwide was $8.94 for 27.6 hours worked.

The 2021 DESOS (Day and Employment Services Outcome Systems) Report (Grossi, 2021) reflects data from 70% (59) of entities providing day and/or employment services through the Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services. Providers entered data for 9,775 individuals. Overall findings demonstrate:

• A decrease in sheltered employment (25% to 19%)
• Transition age youth and young adults are more likely to be in competitive integrated employment than older populations.
• Each older age group shows a decrease in competitive integrated employment and an increase in sheltered employment and nonemployment day programs.

The DESOS provides the following data:

• 23% were served in competitive integrated employment.
• 19% were served in sheltered/facility-based work.
• 25% were in an alternative to work (e.g., seeking employment, volunteer work).
• 32% were in non-employment day services.
• Average wage of those employed in individual jobs was $9.80 an hour, working an average of 21.3 hours per week.
• Of individuals working in sheltered employment, 52% had a mild intellectual disability, 26% had a moderate intellectual disability, and 8% had an autism diagnosis.
• Of those in individual jobs, 63% relied on family and friends for transportation, and 33% used public transportation.
• Individuals were employed primarily in food service, grocery/retail, and custodial/housekeeping. Other kinds of jobs reported included automotive, entertainment, day care worker, customer service, and animal care.
• Individuals placed into individual jobs under supported employment may require extended services to help them maintain their job. Of those placed in individual jobs under supported employment:

• 25% did not receive any extended services.
• 28% received 1-4 hours of extended services per month.
• 37% received 5-10 hours of extended services per month.
• 2% received 11-15 hours of extended services per month.
• 6% received over 16 hours of extended services per month.

For any individual with a disability, VR can also help fill any funding gaps for wraparound supports that person may have – including childcare, transportation, or modifications of homes and vehicles. Additionally, VR business services can augment Wagner-Peyser activities to help coach employers through the unique aspects of the hiring and on-boarding process for a low- income individual with disabilities, such as understanding any accommodations that may be necessary. Specifically, VR’s small business program can complement Wagner-Peyser and business service staff at WorkOnes to promote non-traditional hiring practices.

Youth.Note: Much of the information below is derived from the 2021 Workforce Program Overview published by Indiana’s Office of Fiscal and Management Analysis, Legislative Services Agency (http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2022/publications/workforce_program_review/).

Successfully transitioning into the workforce can be challenging for young people. Youth face persistently higher unemployment rates compared to other working age groups and may have difficulty finding work due to limited education and work experience. The Social Science Research Councils’ latest report on youth disconnection estimates that 10.7% of Indiana youth (90,200 individuals) aged 16 to 24 were neither working nor in school in 2019 (Lewis, 2021, p. 20). Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics confirms that despite being higher than the state averages, unemployment rates for youth had been on the decline before the increased unemployment that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

COVID-19 created many difficulties for young people who experienced disruptions in education or employment during the pandemic. WIOA Youth program enrollment, particularly for out-of-school youth, declined in State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2020 and 2021 despite an increased need for services. However, follow up reporting found that over 80% of WIOA Youth participants were employed six months and one year after exiting the program, exceeding Indiana's negotiated targets for SFY 2020. Indiana exceeded targets for credential rate as well. From SFY 2018 to 2020, the median earnings by participants increased from $2,947 to $3,339. In SFY 2020 Indiana's WIOA Youth participants exceeded nationwide outcomes for rate of employment or education after exiting the program.

Youth workforce and job training programs, including WIOA Youth and Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG), aim to prevent youth from becoming disconnected from work and school and to reach out to youth who have become disconnected. These programs provide services and activities to help young people successfully transition to the workforce and/or educational opportunities. Participants in the program face a variety of barriers to education and employment. They are most likely to meet program eligibility requirements due to low income (83% of individuals exiting Indiana’s WIOA Youth program during SFY 2020) and a deficiency in basic skills (73%). Others require additional assistance to achieve success in work or school, have a disability, are parenting, are ex-offenders, or have cultural or language barriers. A small percentage are homeless, runaways, foster youth, or are on public assistance (TANF) (USDOLETA and SPR, 2021, pp. 270-271).

Specifically regarding Youth homelessness, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) reports the following:

• 18,252 Indiana public school students experienced homelessness in 2018-19. (257 unsheltered, 2,268 in shelters, 1,573 in hotels/motels, 14,154 doubled up).
  • 1,110 unaccompanied homeless students*
• Youth (ages 12-17) are more at risk of homelessness than adults
• 20-40% homeless youth identify as LGBTQ+
• 75% of homeless or runaway youth have dropped out or will drop out of school

*US Interagency Council on Homelessness