Located in:
- III. Operational Planning Elements
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include an Operational Planning Elements section that supports the State’s strategy and the system-wide vision described in Section II(c) above. Unless otherwise noted, all Operational Planning Elements apply to Combined State Plan partner programs included in the plan as well as to core programs. This section must include—
- b. State Operating Systems and Policies
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include a description of the State operating systems and policies that will support the implementation of the State strategy described in section II Strategic Elements. This includes—
- b. State Operating Systems and Policies
III. b. 1. B. Data-collection and reporting processes used for all programs and activities, including those present in one-stop centers
Data-collection and reporting processes used for all programs and activities, including those present in one-stop centers.10
[10] For the PY 2016 state plan, descriptions of data collection and reporting processes need only include currently known indicators.
Current Narrative:
The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) remains a key agency in the development of the data transmitted to and housed in the state’s longitudinal data system, previously known as the Indiana Network for Knowledge (INK). In 2017, INK was absorbed under the Indiana Management Performance Hub (MPH) and has been renamed as the Education &Workforce Data System (EWD). Partner agencies include the Indiana Department of Education (DOE), Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE), Department of Workforce Development (DWD), the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet (GWC), and the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA). The the state's longitudinal data system at MPH, education and workforce data elements are combined across the partner agencies at the record level, joining key education and workforce descriptors for end user exploration.
In October 2016, Indiana launched a new combined case management and labor exchange data system (Indiana Career Connect /ICC) via its vendor, Geographic Solutions. In 2022, the state will issue a Request for Proposals to procure a new case management and labor exchange system. The local workforce boards report their data and information to DWD through this case management system. This system aligns with the state’s labor market information data, interactive website, and tools for jobs seekers and career counselors. DWD Research and Analysis houses both Indiana’s labor market information division, as well as the federal reporting team responsible for producing training performance reports as dictated through the PIRL (Participant Individual Record Layout). This office also assists with data questions and analyses of outcomes against current economic and wage data.T
he Research and Analysis Unit housed in the DWD also has its own longitudinal data warehouse (Research and Analysis Warehouse – RAW) in which it maintains over 500 million records on claims, new hires, EQUI, wage records, case management, labor exchange system, and data from other systems housed in DWD. This combined repository of data helps to answer questions from the state’s leadership, as well as data requests from external parties seeking workforce outcomes data achieved by matching wage records. The comprehensive, integrative nature of RAW plays an integral role in ensuring information regarding wage outcomes can be obtained for decision making and policy planning.
EWD (formerly INK) creates enhanced opportunities to combine workforce and education data (K-12 and higher education) to examine employment outcomes, retention of graduates, differential outcomes based on degree type and area of study, and a wide range of other research to better understand the linkages between education and the workforce, to name a few. EWD provides end users, including the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet, the Governor’s Office, other state agencies, and the Indiana General Assembly, with the opportunity for a more holistic exploration of Indiana’s education-to-workforce pipeline to address specific policy questions. This enhanced understanding enables decision makers to make better informed decisions to positively impact students, teachers, workers, and employers. DWD, CHE, FSSA, GWC, and DOE continue to contribute data into the database, with DWD providing unemployment claims, wage records, select case management records, and adult education data to address research efforts.
A data hub has been created by MPH for users to access public facing data sets and is currently published on MPH’s website. Datasets are also available through a request process at MPH. Data from DWD are also available in dashboard format on DWD’s website and include Occupational Employment Estimates (OES), Occupational Projections, Funded Eligible Training Programs, and data for the Indiana Composite Education Score , which provides the most common education attainment level needed for an occupation based on BLS, O*NET, ACS, and CPS data, and Job Postings by County. Data sets for this hub have been contributed by other agencies and partners, such as IBRC, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, CHE, the Indiana Department of Transportation, and several other agencies.