WIOA State Plan Common Elements

A. The State’s Workforce Development Activities

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 and service delivery. To date, there are 20 comprehensive offices known as WorkOne Centers (Indiana’s term for American Job Centers) throughout the State. In addition to the comprehensive offices, Indiana has more than 70 WorkOne affiliate sites and access points across the State. Some counties with lower population totals utilize mobile services and rotating staff, which strategically travel across regions to best reach the individuals in need of services.

Each region has a local workforce development board (LWDB) with a designated regional chief elected official. The board in each region oversees regional programs and funding needs and manages allocations and programs to meet the needs of their specific region. One goal of the LWDBs 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 LWDBs also serve employers within the region by helping meet their talent needs. LWDB training was developed by Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and implemented as a mandatory requirement for newly appointed local board members. This training requirement became effective during the summer of 2022. The training is reviewed and refreshed as necessary, with the next update anticipated by early 2024. This allows LWDB members to better understand the potential of their role and the responsibilities the board holds within the workforce system.

In 2018, Governor Holcomb worked with the Indiana General Assembly to create the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet (GWC) 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 supports progress towards unification. Each of the State agencies responsible for implementing partner programs are included as representatives on the GWC. Additionally, the GWC established a steering committee to provide input and drive Plan development. The steering committee had representation from 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 is allocated to Indiana’s 12 LWDBs, and services 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 include workers that have been terminated or laid off, or have received a notice of termination or layoff from employment; are 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; are employed at a facility where the employer has made the general announcement that the facility will close within 180 days; were 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 are 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 ensures 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 Centers to support jobseekers, 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 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 provide quality individualized services to enhance and support people with disabilities to prepare for, obtain or retain employment. Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) 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 partner programs is outlined below. Additional information regarding Core and Partner program collaboration is included throughout the Plan.

• 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.
• Carl D. Perkins: Career and technical education programs authorized under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Educational Act and is a funding pool provided to secondary and post-secondary career and technical education programs. Recipients in Indiana are Career and Technical Education (CTE) Districts, Vincennes University, and Ivy Tech Community College.
• Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA)[1]: TAA assists workers who have been dislocated due to foreign trade impacts. The goal of the TAA program is to help each worker participating in the program obtain suitable employment whenever possible and return to employment as quickly as possible. The TAA Program provides trade-affected workers with opportunities to obtain the skills, credentials, resources, and support necessary to become reemployed in a good job. Together with its workforce development partners in the one-stop delivery system authorized under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the TAA Program helps retrain, retool, and rebuild the American workforce.
• 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 and other eligible persons with significant barriers to employment 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 UI after submitting a claim through either the internet or through the nearest full service WorkOne Career Center. Information required to complete a claim includes 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.
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program: TANF provides financial assistance to families in need. To receive TANF benefits you must be a family in-need 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.
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP E&T) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Indiana Manpower Placement and Comprehensive Training (IMPACT) provides services designed to help recipients of SNAP and TANF 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 WorkOnes for value and outcomes.

[1] Note: As of June 30, 2022, the TAA program entered into Sunset termination provision (TEGL 14-22). Under the phased termination of the TAA program, the State is only able to serve and conduct outreach to individuals who had a TAA certification occurring prior to the termination of the program.

B. The Strengths and Weaknesses of Workforce Development Activities

Strengths:

Indiana’s workforce system has many strengths, including how it is uniquely structured under the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet to allow for flexibility to respond to the ever-changing economy to serve individuals and employers.

State Board Structure Supports Alignment and Integration

Since 2018, the Indiana Governor’s Workforce Cabinet (GWC) has championed greater alignment of the State’s workforce system with the broader workforce activities throughout the State. As the State Workforce Development Board, the GWC not only oversees WIOA-related efforts but serves as the convener of business and community leaders, education representatives from K-12 and postsecondary institutions, Indiana lawmakers, and experts from State agencies and members are geographically diverse, representing Indiana’s 12 economic growth regions.  The composition of the Cabinet fosters a holistic approach for strategic alignment for workforce development spanning from early childhood through K-12, post-secondary, and adult learners in partnership with industry. Regular convenings by the GWC throughout the State inform the State’s workforce development leaders of the existing and emerging workforce challenges and opportunities in Indiana’s diverse communities. Regional data profiles including labor market information, education and workforce program metrics, top employers, real time job postings, and built environment measures are generated for each meeting to information members and the public, and speakers highlight best practices and innovation in Indiana’s workforce, talent, and economic development ecosystem. These meetings help foster talent development and growth statewide by informing policy and decision making and scaling best practices.

Perhaps no strength is greater in Indiana than the ability for State leaders from workforce development, K-12 and postsecondary education, vocational rehabilitation, industry leaders, employers and more to come together to solve the State’s workforce challenges. As the convener of workforce development, the GWC strives to identify and elevate programs, activities, and enacted legislation that can be integrated across State agencies to ensure employers have access to a skilled and diverse workforce and Hoosiers have access to good jobs with livable wages without barriers. In advance of the 2023 legislative session, the Cabinet, along with additional subject matter experts in social services, workforce, education and business representatives came together to form working groups to address Indiana’s most pressing issues.  What culminated was a list of recommendations to the Governor and Indiana General Assembly https://www.in.gov/gwc/home/gwc-recommendations/.

Some related outcomes include:

• Increased Access to Early Learning Services: Income eligibility for the On My Way Pre-K program was raised from 127% to 150% of the Federal Poverty Level. An additional $5 million in funding was allocated to cover increased program enrollment. The State is calibrating operations with the intent of expanding eligibility. In October 2023, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), a board member of the GWC, announced the Employer-Sponsored Childcare Fund, part of Governor Holcomb’s 2023 Next Level Agenda, to mobilize employers and communities to create or expand childcare offerings that address the needs of working Hoosiers. The $25 million program, in partnership with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, uses a portion of the State’s remaining federal relief funds from the COVID-19 pandemic and is part of the State’s broader efforts to strengthen the early care and education sector. The legislature invested $5 million over the biennium in a new tax credit for small and mid-sized businesses that provide employer-sponsored or subsidized childcare.
• Focus Early Childhood Education Programs on Educational Results: The legislature adopted language codifying the Early Learning Advisory Committee’s ongoing work to update the Paths to QUALITY, Indiana’s Quality Rating Information System (QRIS) for childcare providers, with an eye to education, transparency, and accountability.
• Increase Kindergarten Readiness by Establishing a Dolly Parton Library of Indiana: HEA 1001 appropriated $6 million for a statewide Dolly Parton Imagination Library as part of Governor Holcomb’s 2023 Next Level Agenda. The funding provides a 50% state match with local support. This state-local initiative, led by the Indiana State Library, will increase local participation and fundraising to ensure in the near future that every Hoosier parent has the opportunity to enroll their child, age birth-to-five, to monthly receive a free high-quality, age-appropriate book in the mail. Building home libraries at such an early age will complement many other efforts to promote early literacy.
• Ensure Students Can Read by the End of Third Grade: Governor Holcomb’s 2024 Next Level Agenda included multiple items to accelerate progress towards his goal that 95% of Indiana third graders are reading proficiently by 2027. HEA 1590 bolsters existing policies geared toward ensuring students can read by the end of third grade. HEA 1001 also contains requirements related to literacy and the science of reading. These literacy-related bills are designed to (1) Require all school corporations adopt curriculum aligned to the science of reading; (2) Require schools with an IREAD-3 pass rate below 70% to employ an instructional coach trained in the science of reading; (3) Require K-5 teachers licensed after June 30, 2025 to obtain a literacy endorsement; (4) Require teacher preparation programs and licensure to include curriculum aligned to the science of reading and prepare participants to obtain the literacy endorsement; (5) Require school corporations to differentiate pay of teachers obtaining the required literacy endorsement, thereby incentivizing teachers to participate in literacy training; (6) Provide the IDOE with an appropriation of up to $20 million to support literacy initiatives; and (7) Provide IDOE with an appropriation of $10 million to obtain an additional $10 million in matching philanthropic support (Lilly Endowment Inc) toward Science of Reading programs in schools and teacher preparation programs. In addition, HEA 1558 (Science of Reading) will inform baccalaureate curriculum in education. The Indiana State Board of Education (SBOE) will establish content area license and endorsement requirements for elementary school math and science teachers. Education majors may be required to pass a designated sequence of courses to receive the endorsement.
• Increased Adult Education Funding: State agencies overseeing adult education (AE) programs received additional funding via HEA 1001 of $12 million over the biennium ($4M / $8M) to provide more services and accommodate people on waiting lists. HEA 1609 replaced the Work Indiana Program with a revised incentive program that enables employers to receive $1,000 per eligible employee who obtains a High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma.
• Work-Based Learning: Indiana House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1002 in the 2023 session made significant improvements to expanding work-based learning in Indiana high schools, such as apprenticeships and internships. Under the new framework, students will be able to earn a post-secondary credential before leaving the K-12 system. Additionally, with the Office of Career and Technical Education (CTE) being moved from the GWC to the Commission for Higher Education (CHE), new high school career courses, modern youth apprenticeships, and other related programs will be approved. The integration and blurring of the lines for students will be intentional so that they seamlessly become prepared for the workforce post high school graduation.
• Career Navigation Network: HEA 1002 will help shape a career navigation network, with the establishment of approved intermediaries. These intermediaries will meet with students and select individuals for thirty minutes to provide early career information, help establish job connections and advise on industry jobs, demand, and training requirements. HEA 1002 provides a one-time allocation of $5 million for intermediary capacity building grants to help select intermediaries scale to meet the meeting demand.
• Provide Monetary Support to Remove Student Barriers: The establishment of a student Career Scholarship Account via HEA 1002 will help provide monetary support for career coaching, dual enrollment costs, transportation to/from work and other barriers that might prevent a student from working. Career Scholarship Accounts fund transportation options, which designates transportation to/from work as an allowable expense.
• Require High School Students to File the FAFSA: Indiana Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 167 requires all Indiana students, with exceptions, to submit the FAFSA during their senior year of high school. This empowers students through the discovery of post-secondary education opportunities and available funding. Indiana students missed out on tens of millions of dollars in grants annually by not filling out the FAFSA. In the most recent school year, only 36% of high school seniors filed a FAFSA.
• Auto-Enroll Financially Eligible Students in 21st Century Scholars: HEA 1449 requires the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE) to work with the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) to identify and auto enroll students who qualify for the statewide grant program that funds lower income student attendance at two- and four-year post-secondary schools. Students and parents must be notified about their eligibility into the program. While they are auto-enrolled, students and parents have the option to participate and can opt out at any time.
• Restored Frank O’Bannon Grant Funding to Pre-Recession Levels:The State Budget Committee in Fall 2022 approved a 35% increase to the maximum base-award amounts for the Frank O'Bannon Grant. The grant is designed to provide access for Hoosier students to attend eligible public, private, and proprietary postsecondary institutions. Eligibility for the grant is based on financial need as determined by the FAFSA. The maximum award for a student attending a public institution increased to $6,200 and $12,400 for a student at a private institution. The new award amounts went into effect during the 2023-24 academic year.
• Connectivity: Leveraging technology to create solutions has picked up momentum in a post-COVID world. Like many states, Indiana has examined and studied how best to use artificial intelligence and other tech tools to increase the connectivity among State agencies and partners so that information and services are delivered more effectively and efficiently. In 2023, Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) officially launched an AI-powered tool, the Workforce Recommendation Engine,to connect Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants to career and training recommendations based on the data already collected by the State. In other areas of State government, resource sharing through technology-enabled solutions is generating more attention and interest.
• Digital Equity: Digital equity is achieved when all individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in society, democracy, and economy. It’ is critical for employment, lifelong learning, civic and cultural participation, as well as accessing essential services (e.g., food, shelter, transportation, etc.). Local workforce development boards provide Indiana residents, employers, and training providers with WIN Career Readiness, a fundamental workplace skills training system. Users can access the digital skills assessment to measure their digital literacy (basic computer and internet skills, online safety and security skills, digital content creation skills, etc.). In addition, as part of Governor’s Holcomb’s agenda, HEA 1609 added digital and computer literacy to Indiana’s Adult Education programming eligible for state funding alongside WIOA federal funds.
• Increase Access to Credentials of Value: Governor Holcomb’s 2024 Next Level Agenda tripled annual funding, from $4 million to $12 million, for the Workforce Ready Grant, which covers the tuition and fees for short-term certificate training programs, both credit and noncredit bearing. Since its creation in 2017, the Workforce Ready Grant has invested nearly $120 million in helping over 47,000 Hoosiers complete credential training in high-wage, high-demand careers. As part of his 2025 Next Level Agenda, Governor Holcomb administratively added early childhood education and child care to both Next Level Jobs programs, the Employer Training Grant and Workforce Ready Grant to respond to this critical need. Under HEA 1002, the Career Scholarship Account Program provides students access to funds for qualified expenses, including costs associated with enrolling in and attending IDOE-approved course sequences, career courses, apprenticeship programs (including modern youth apprenticeships) and programs of study leading to industry recognized credentials. The department has limited approval to course sequences and programs of study that culminate in a “credential of value” to ensure the programs are tailored to increase access to credentials of value, expand access to quality work-based learning, and satisfy Indiana high school graduation requirements.
• Incentivize Completion of Credentials of Value in High School: The legislature restructured the existing Career and Technical Education (CTE) Grant under state tuition support to K-12 schools to incentivize completion of credentials of value in high school. The state’s school funding formula now consists of two separate components: the CTE Program Enrollment Grant, based on enrollment in high-, moderate- and less-than-moderate value programs; and the newly established Credential Completion Grant.
• Strengthen the Educator Pipeline in STEM-Related Subjects: HEA 1001 allocates up to $1.2 million in grants to postsecondary institutions that support programs and initiatives dedicated to increasing student enrollment and improving student scores in math and science AP courses. Via HEA 1590, professional learning opportunities for educators regarding digital learning are now eligible by way of David C. Ford technology funds. That legislation also expanded grant eligibility under the Next Level Computer Science Grant Program to allow state-accredited schools to apply directly, in addition to providers and vendors, for teacher professional development grants.
• Advocate for Employment-Based Immigration Reform:Governor Eric Holcomb, along with Utah Governor Spencer Cox, called on Congress to end its two-decade standoff on setting immigration policy and to support immigration sponsorship by the states. Similar to visa sponsorship authority employers and universities have already, this policy would allow each state to sponsor the desired number of visas each year – up to a limit set by Congress – for the specific types of jobs they need to fill. Immigration sponsorship would give states a dynamic means to attract new residents both from a pool of new applicants and from the ranks of current asylum seekers. The policy would also expand the states’ responsibility for the contributions and success of immigrants in American life.

The GWC continues to work with board members and partners to ensure stronger alignment across the State’s workforce activities in the years to come.

Indiana’s Nationally Acclaimed Colleges and Universities

Indiana is home to seven public postsecondary institutions, comprised of nationally recognized research institutions, including three ‘R1’ designated research institutions, affordable four-year colleges and universities, and the state’s oldest public institution, Vincennes University, which offers both two- and four-year degrees. Indiana also contains the nation’s largest singly accredited community college system, Ivy Tech Community College. Alongside public institutions, the state is home to over 30 private colleges and universities.

Affordability is a cornerstone of Indiana’s postsecondary system. Each year, the state makes available over $400 million in financial aid. Indiana is ranked first in the Midwest and fifth in the nation in providing need-based aid. The state ranks sixth in the nation in holding the line on tuition and mandatory fee increases. 

Promoting Skill Development and Removing Barriers through Complementary Programs

The State’s commitment to developing the in-demand skills of Hoosiers is demonstrated through several state-supported workforce programs that complement existing and required Core Programs and Partner Programs. This is driven in large part by the Next Level Jobs (NLJ) initiative (https://nextleveljobs.org/). NLJ is part of Governor Holcomb’s Next Level Indiana agenda to continue the positive momentum of the State and provides Hoosiers with the resources needed to secure a short-term credential, via tuition-free training in one of Indiana’s high-demand job fields. The interconnectedness of the following programs and services support barrier mitigation, co-enrollment, and wraparound services.

Under NLK, the Workforce Ready Grant (WRG) allows residents who have earned a high school diploma but not a postsecondary degree to enroll in no-cost training programs in certain high-demand fields through approved training providers. The grant may be used only for certain high-value certificate programs in priority industry sectors, such as advanced manufacturing, building and construction, health and life sciences, IT and business technology, and logistics.

Supporting employers, the NLJ initiative provides Employer Training Grants (ETG). This program reimburses employers in high-demand business sectors up to $5,000 for each newly trained (new or incumbent) employee that is trained, hired, and retained for at least six months. A $50,000 maximum annual reimbursement is available for each employer. The grant is dispersed regionally through Workforce Development Board Business Services teams but administered by DWD. 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. Since the inception of the program in 2017, over 1,400 Hoosier businesses have accessed training dollars to upskill their new and existing workforce to keep their businesses and workers thriving in Indiana. Over $75 million has been invested into this skill advancement program that continues to result in higher wages for Hoosiers and a sustainable workforce for Hoosier businesses.

As Indiana develops an implementation strategy to leverage federal workforce programs (BIL, CHIPS, IRA, etc.) to support emerging and growing sectors across the State, the impact the Indiana Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship (OWBLA) plays is critical to developing and implementing a framework of work-based learning to develop a skilled and ready workforce among Hoosier youth and adult populations to capitalize on this unprecedented opportunity for Hoosiers to access good jobs. The Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship concentrates on three objectives: (1) Coordinating efforts and partnering with the U.S. Department of Labor to expand registered apprenticeships; (2) Developing flexible and scalable programs that focus on the State’s key economic sectors and regional high-wage, high-demand occupations; and (3) building public-private partnerships to increase business and industry engagement with education systems.

Perhaps no other program in the State (or country) has more success with helping secondary school aged students with serious barriers to graduation and employment from dropping out than Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG). In 2023, Governor Holcomb announced the goals to expand JAG Indiana to 250 programs in Indiana by the 2024-2025 school years. DWD, in partnership with the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), (i.e., vocational rehabilitation’s pre-employment training services (Pre-ETS), will invest more than $23.1 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grants to realize this expansion from 125 to 250 programs in the State. JAG programming provides a structured bridge to successful post-secondary education and workforce opportunities. Administered by DWD, JAG Indiana has served 40,000 Hoosier youth and graduated more than 95% of its students from high school since its inception in 2006.

Workforce development activities in Indiana extend beyond those delivered through DWD. Strong partnerships with other State agencies help to deliver robust workforce services to all Hoosiers. The following State-supported programs reflect the strengths of Indiana’s workforce system:

• Indiana Career Scholarship (CSA) Program: Passed by the Indiana General Assembly in 2023, the CSA Program provides $5,000 annually through quarterly disbursements ($1,250 per quarter) to eligible 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th grade students enrolled in eligible programs to pursue apprenticeships, applied learning experience, work-based learning, and credentials attainment experience. CSA program funds the eligible costs of career coaching and navigation services, postsecondary education and training, transportation and equipment, and certification and credentialing examinations. Through a cross-agency coordinated effort with Indiana Treasurer of State (TOS), IDOE, and CHE, IDOE approves the eligible programs, CHE approves the eligible providers, and the TOS approves eligible students and expenses.
• Adult Student Grant: Offered by CHE, the program is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of working adults starting or completing an associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or certificate by providing a $2,000 grant. The grant may be used toward tuition and regularly assessed fees.
• Hoosier Initiative for Re-Entry (HIRE): Offered by Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC), the HIRE is an employment-focused program that works through both in and out of facility clients to upskill their career readiness and to place them into full-time, benefitted employment opportunities that offer a livable wage. The HIRE program focuses on three pillars for success:
  • Direct Client Services:
    • One-on-one and group sessions to upskill the client base for career readiness, focusing on both pre- and post- release services.
    • Minimum of one-year follow-up with each active client
    • Over 18,000 Hoosiers placed into full-time, benefitted careers since 2012
    • Current average hourly wage for HIRE clients (as of December 2023) is $16.22 for pre-release, $15.97 for post-release, and $16.00 statewide.
  • Employer Recruitment
    • Recruiting businesses in Indiana and bordering states that will offer the client base an opportunity to work for higher-paying wages.
    • Offering virtual job fairs and business promotional videos in facility for business convenience and to upload on the client base tablets for pre-release placement.
    • Working to assist on WOTC and Federal Bonding opportunities.
  • Community Outreach
    • Creating a network of community entities to assist with barrier busting services to alleviate stress during job search and employment placement.

Philanthropic and Sector Partnerships

Another unique strength of Indiana’s workforce development activities is the philanthropic and sectoral partnership that exist, providing Indiana with an opportunity to leverage public-, private-philanthropic partnerships in a way that few states can. This provides Indiana the ability to better understand national best practices, innovate through pilot programs, and braid resources to scale promising practices. These partnerships allow for Hoosiers across the State, regardless of if they live in rural, suburban, and urban areas, additional opportunities to receive the support necessary to better their lives.

The GWC can provide these philanthropic and sector partnership organizations with a single-entry point into the talent development system. Listed below are just a few that the State works with to continually strengthen the statewide workforce development system:

• The Lumina Foundation is an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school clearer and more accessible for everyone. Lumina Foundation works in partnership with education and business leaders, civil rights organizations, policymakers, and individuals who want to reimagine how and where learning occurs. 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.
• The Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic foundation based in Indianapolis, created by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company. The Endowment helps organizations realize their community development and education potential by providing funding, consulting and technical assistance, research and evaluation support, and connections to other organizations with relevant aims and experience. State workforce development efforts are greatly impacted by the investment and support of the Endowment. Since 1990, the Endowment has allocated over $800 million in its GIFT initiative for Indiana community foundations, continual support for United Ways through periodic grants to Indiana United Ways, continual support of six regional initiatives around the State totaling over $200 million, and its long-standing support of all of Indiana’s colleges and universities under the first round of the College and Community Collaboration Initiative. During the 2024 State of the State Address, Governor Holcomb announced that the Endowment would provide the State with a $250 million grant (via READI 2.0) to support quality of place projects across fifteen regions in the State.
• Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) fosters growth and innovation in crucial sectors in Indiana’s economy and brings together leaders from many of the State’s corporations, foundations, and universities while encouraging conversation and collaboration. CICP has identified and supports five talent and industry sector initiatives, focused on agbiosciences, talent and workforce development, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and logistics, and technology. CICP has created an advanced industry initiative for each of these sectors and each initiative supports the growth of its respective industry. Lilly Endowment Inc. provides financial support for the CICP Foundation’s charitable, educational, and scientific activities:
  • AgriNovus Indiana is a nonprofit coalition of leaders across industry, academia, and government focused on growing Indiana’s agbioscience economy across food, animal health, plant science, and agtech.
  • Ascend Indiana is committed to making Indiana a place of economic opportunity for all. It connects jobseekers to good and promising career opportunities through an innovative job matching platform, the Ascend Network; catalyzes partnerships with universities and employers, provides consulting services to meet high-demand workforce needs; and conducts research to enable systems-level change that positively impacts individuals throughout the State. In partnership with EmployIndy, Ascend received a $6 million grant from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation in 2022 to support the scaling of Modern Youth Apprenticeships (MAP) in Marion County. MAP is a three-year work-based learning experience starting in high school that combines paid employment, on-the-job learning, related academics, aligned college credit, and industry-recognized credentials.
  • BioCrossroads is Indiana’s initiative to grow the life sciences, a public-private collaboration that supports the region’s research and corporate strengths while encouraging new business development. BioCrossroads provides funding and support to life science businesses, launches new life science enterprises, expands collaboration and partnerships among Indiana’s life science institutions, expands science education, and markets Indiana’s life sciences industry. The initiative has formed several new nonprofit organizations including Indiana Health Information Exchange, BioCrossroadsLINX, OrthoWorx, Datalys Center, and the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute. In 2023, OrthoWorx received a 2-year, $30 million State budget appropriation.
  • Conexus Indiana 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.
  • TechPoint is the industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s digital innovation economy and overall tech ecosystem. The team is focused on working with public, private and industry partners to expand tech talent pipeline, enhance resource connectivity for enterprise organizations and startups alike, and elevate the industry by activating the community and amplifying stories of success. TechPoint recently launched Mission41K, a collaborative movement to address tech employer talent needs through skills-based hiring, inclusive pathways, and apprenticeships to grow Indiana’s tech workforce by 41,000 workers by 2030.

• 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 the 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 Indiana postsecondary institution. Collaborative data sharing agreements from the Eligible Training Provider List and Next Level Jobs through the Indiana Department of Workforce Development have expanded the credential engine database to include additional skills-based credential offerings.
• Rework America Alliance is a nationwide partnership of civil rights groups, nonprofits, private sector employers, labor unions, educators, and others, working to get people without a college degree into better-paying jobs with opportunities for career growth, particularly women, Black, and Latino workers. In 2023, Jobs for the Future (JFF) acquired this program from the Markle Foundation. Under JFF, the Alliance will provide opportunities for career growth and advancement into quality jobs for people without a college degree, particularly women of all racial backgrounds, and Black and Latino people. The Alliance will continue to partner with Indiana to support this work by (1) providing free access to a full virtual training program for career coaches focused on human-centered, equity-driven, and skills-based practices, (2) providing access to skills-based tools for jobseekers, including the Skill My Resume and Job Progression tools, and (3) continuing its partnership with the Indiana Chamber to provide support to employers transitioning to skills-based talent management through the Skillful Talent Series. The work of the Alliance will strengthen existing partnership JFF has in Indiana, including the Youth Apprenticeship Intermediary Site with Horizon Education Alliance, the Job Quality Academy with EmployIndy and Northern Indiana Workforce Board, the Community College Workforce Consortium member of Ivy Tech Community College, and more.
• Central Indiana Community Foundation mobilizes 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. They continue to study and focus on: wage disparity; breaking the cycle of generational poverty by supporting youth; and equitable access to opportunities. CICF administers general grant application rounds 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 100+ 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.
• Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’sExcel 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 sixteen locations throughout central and southern Indiana, serving more than 4,200 students annually. Students at The Excel Center have “coaches” who help address challenges with transportation, childcare, health, and family situations — circumstances that can hinder progress in school. Free childcare 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.
• Strada Education Foundation supports programs, policies, and organizations that strengthen connections between postsecondary education and opportunity nationally and in its home State of Indiana, with a focus on helping people who face the greatest challenges. Strada advances its mission through research, grantmaking, and social impact investments, public policy solutions, and Strada-supported nonprofit organizations, including:
  • CAEL: helps organizations succeed among accelerating changes reshaping education and employment landscapes. We build and lead inclusive partnerships that result in agile, responsive pathways linking learning and work. By helping diverse organizations find common cause in adult learners and workers, we keep education and training providers aligned in real time, sustain healthy talent pipelines, and support enrollment in education and training programs, from badges and micro credentials to certificates and advanced degrees.
  • Education at Work: helps students graduate with less debt and more skills, connections, and confidence by connecting them with flexible, paid employment opportunities. We help high-achieving college students gain the career-ready skills and financial stability needed to succeed after graduation
  • InsideTrack: partners with higher education institutions, workforce partners and employers to empower individuals to overcome educational and career barriers, close the widening post-secondary completion gap, bring stopped-out learners back to school, and reskill and upskill workers.
  • Roadtrip Nation: creates and distributes best-in-class career exploration content, products, and experiences to help individuals pursue fulfilling careers based on what’s important to them.
• Applied Research Institute (ARI) is a non-partisan leader in technology innovation and strategy. As a neutral, third-party innovation ecosystem orchestrator, ARI collaborates with cross-sectional partners from State and Federal government, industry, and academia, across a wide spectrum of technology focus areas. It specializes in creating robust ecosystems, facilitating partnerships, and managing complex technology projects from start to finish – all with the goal of transforming ideas into game-changing results. Through its network of 200+ partnerships across government, industry, and academia, ARI is positioned to solve emerging technical and national security challenges in key advanced technology areas.

Weaknesses:

Indiana aspires to continually improve how workforce activities are being carried out across the State. Some of the most prevalent weaknesses and contributing hurdles include the following:

Barriers to Alignment and Integration Across Programs & Systems:

• Data system non-integration in case management systems in part due to information privacy standard protections.
• Unfamiliarity with, and/or limited collaboration between, partner programs and systems, contributing to disconnected jobseeker referrals within the one-stop system.
• Limited opportunities for one-stop staff and partner cross-training to increase capacity, expertise, and efficiency.

Limited Awareness of Workforce System Activities & Services:

• Identified need to promote a statewide marketing campaign to (1) inform Hoosiers of available workforce and supportive services and (2) elevate local best practices for statewide replications due limited dedicated state and regional allocated funding for marketing purposes.
• Difficulty reaching “untapped” populations, especially during low unemployment, to get them upskilled and placed in a self-sustaining career.

Low Enrollment in Postsecondary Education & Training Programs:

• Limited capacity and awareness challenges of training grants to many eligible Hoosiers to help offset the cost of training. Addressing issues via statewide marketing program that connects potential clients to a Career Navigator that will connect them to state and locally funded training and career resources.
• Misconceptions about job quality for high-demand, high-wage occupations including socio-economic benefits for training and education beyond high school such as increased lifetime earnings, job stability, resiliency to economic downturns, and adaptability to changes in technology disruption, and more.
• Traditional training program structures that struggle to accommodate adults balancing work and life activities.
• Indiana’s strong manufacturing sector may adversely affect the degree-seeking rate of Indiana high school students due to available opportunities upon high school graduation. Indiana is ranked Top 10 in the nation for secondary outcomes yet ranks in the Bottom 10 nationally for residents 25-64 holding an associate degree or higher.

Stagnant Labor Force Growth Due to Baby Boomer Retirements and Declining Birth Rate:

• As Baby Boomers age out of the workforce, Indiana will struggle to replace these workers, particularly in critical need industries such as education and healthcare & social assistance. As the population ages and lives longer, workforce shortages in Indiana’s healthcare and social assistance industry, for example, will be felt more profoundly.
• The State must adequately embrace automation to increase productivity.

• Retention strategies and development of meaningful connections with employers for K-12 and post-secondary students, increasing attraction strategies for in-migration of new workers, as well as barrier assistance strategies to help historically marginalized population groups and under employed individuals to enter or reenter the labor force will bolster labor force participation.

Indiana is working to address weaknesses through our defined goals and strategies, as detailed in Section II.b. and c.

C. State Workforce Development Capacity

The strength of Indiana’s workforce system is exemplified through the collaboration among partners, including those from Core and Partner Programs. In keeping with the vision of WIOA, State entities work together to increase access and opportunities to employment, education, training, and support services to employment. Indiana has championed stronger alignment of workforce, education, vocational rehabilitation, and other human services systems to improve the structure and delivery of services to Hoosiers.

Collaboration in Indiana has never been better – State agencies, industry, education, community and philanthropic partners are working together more than ever before. The Governor’s Workforce Cabinet (GWC) has challenged partners to think globally, plan regionally, and act locally when delivering workforce development activities.

Indiana has identified specific partners and stakeholders who will champion specific action steps for each goal identified in this plan (see Section II.b. and c.). The coalition of partners driving the State’s workforce system will continue to work with one another to achieve successful outcomes. The GWC will allocate resources and capacity as needed to implement action steps to ensure every Hoosier individual and employer has access to the services and activities available in the statewide workforce system.