WIOA State Plan Common Elements

To create a more robust talent development system and advance Hoosiers toward economic mobility, Indiana must continue to foster action-oriented relationships between businesses, community partners, and government agencies. Indiana will continue to attract and support businesses of all sizes to our State. Our focus, however, is on identifying and developing the skilled workforce needed to maintain these businesses and the businesses already here. To accomplish this, we engage with businesses holistically rather than focusing solely on their current needs. We must also look for ways to diversify hiring practices, access untapped populations, and develop strategic talent pipelines.  

Building better connections to employers alongside our partners is a critical component of addressing the workforce challenges facing Indiana businesses. There is a need now, more than ever, to align resources and work strategically to develop talent pipelines. The following strategies outline how Indiana will continue coordinating activities and resources to provide comprehensive, high-quality services to employers to meet their current and projected workforce needs.  

One Stop to Start: The GWC launched a marketing campaign in early 2024 to promote awareness of State resources for employers, including assistance in connecting with training resources and skilled worker pipelines. A targeted ad and marketing campaign will direct employers to a web-based portal which will serve as the State’s one-stop place for individuals and employers to learn about the workforce, education, and training programs the State offers. It will also provide real-time, personalized help via one-on-one navigators. These navigators will help employers and other individuals connect to the resources that best fit their needs through direct handoffs to the appropriate to the appropriate State and local workforce and economic development program managers. The initiative may evolve to include additional technical components including employer to jobseeker talent recruitment and screening.  

Employer Talent Agency: Indiana’s talent development system must be responsive to the needs of employers, remain innovative, and provide real-time solutions to complex and pressing problems. Indiana faces a defining moment as it contemplates the future of work and the State’s economy must respond to employer demand for a technically skilled, adaptable workforce. Amid a quickly evolving digital skills landscape with changing job requirements, and a limited labor market due to shifting demographics, there will be a need for a structured, unified framework for education and workforce alignment with employers in regard to skills, credentials and hiring needs that will build upon existing employer engagement. The GWC is embracing new approaches to serving Hoosier employers amid these changes in the labor market. Currently, it is determining the functions needed for a statewide Talent Agency offering, designed specifically as a service to employers. The inspiration for this offering reflects feedback from employers and successful outcomes from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Talent Pipeline Management business model. An analysis could include asset mapping of existing business service models located regionally through local workforce development boards, community college systems, and state and local chambers, and state agencies to determine best practices, where gaps in service may exist, as well as how to best leverage existing networks towards a statewide approach for an employer-centered workforce system.  

Engagement, Technical Assistance and Staff Training: Indiana will continue providing employer service-focused technical assistance and staff training through development opportunities for State staff and partners, such as LWDA staff and local workforce development board (LWDB) members. Specific board training, as an example, has been developed and is available for LWDB members and staff to enhance knowledge, duties, and understanding of their responsibilities as to how the talent development system can connect with employers.  Another example is continued evaluation of Local Veterans Employment Representative (LVER) integration with WorkOne AJC Employment / Business Services Teams (BSTs). Indiana aims to ensure that veterans are adequately represented in local employer engagement activities, with the LVER leading those efforts through advocating for all veterans for employment and training opportunities with businesses, industries, unions, and apprenticeship programs.

Starting in 2024, VR will enhance its capacity to provide technical assistance to businesses through a pilot project with one of the largest counties in the State, Hamilton County. Through this partnership, Hamilton County will leverage its business networks to create more opportunities with local businesses to offer work-based learning and hiring opportunities for jobseekers with disabilities, including youth. Businesses will receive support with onboarding and training to promote a successful experience for both the employer and the jobseeker. 

While tremendous progress has been made in communication and coordination with partners, such as using technology to track and record employer engagements and activities, the landscape of workforce development has significantly changed in recent years. It is critical that Indiana reassess our coordinated employer service delivery approaches across core programs and partners. A better understanding of all resources – whether provided by WIOA core programs and offered within our WorkOnes, or through State funded programs such as Next Level Jobs, or via other services funded by Partner Programs – will allow State, partner, and local workforce staff to better connect resources and programs to the employers they serve in their communities. All workforce system staff and partners should be well-versed in the leading industry sectors in their region and the resources available to help employers develop the talent they need.  

Economic and Employer Data: DWD Research and Analysis staff have developed regional dashboards for use by workforce and economic development partners, including the Management Performance Hub (MPH). MPH helps stakeholders identify and analyze data sets necessary to understand the intersection between the education, workforce development, and social service systems. These tools are designed to increase awareness of economic and employer data with the goal of reaching a united understanding of the unique needs within each region. This data can be shared with partners across the workforce system to support the alignment of strategies and initiatives to support employers.  

Current labor market analysis shows that Indiana is preparing to fill more than 4 million jobs by 2031, 154,000 of which are from growth, while 1.6 million represent labor force exits and 2.3 million from transfers. To prepare to meet this upcoming demand and secure a successful future for Hoosiers, DWD plans to create more opportunities for discussions and joint presentations with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. By looking towards the future, our efforts will be focused on promoting increased dialogue and action around increasing the number of good jobs, diversifying the economy, and continuing to grow the State’s global competitiveness. As a result, State and local partners will have more targeted and coordinated talent and business development strategies moving forward. The GWC, DWD, and LWDAs will collaborate in these efforts to drive awareness and identify any workforce policy changes that may be necessary. 

Infrastructure: Supporting the State’s initiatives relative to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), will be a key focus of DWD over the next four years. Coordinating partnerships at the State and local level between BIL infrastructure programs, core partners, and one-stop partners will play a critical role in meeting the demands of these new projects and activities. To foster the development and sustainability of partnerships around infrastructure, DWD intends to dedicate staff to this work to stay abreast of the various projects, activities, and resources as they become available to our State and to ensure the appropriate core programs and one-stop partners are informed and leveraged to support a coordinated response to the needs. Implementation of the QUEST DWG has been a foundational support in this area, enabling DWD to build the framework from staff’s infrastructure work can grow and expand.  

Training Resources for Employers: Another key strategy for Indiana is the deployment of our Next Level Jobs Program, specifically the Employer Training Grant (ETG). Focused on businesses, the ETG program uses a coordinated service delivery strategy that brings State and local partners together to inform areas of need for employers. 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.  

Also valuable for employers is the Workforce Education Initiative (WEI), as discussed throughout Section III.a.2., where adult education classes are offered at employer work sites. Each curriculum was developed in partnership with employers to meet their specific needs. Last year, adult education programming was offered in partnership with 180 employers serving close to 3,000 students. 

Work-Based Learning: Work-based learning (WBL) remains a high priority strategy for Indiana as these activities allow our target populations to gain knowledge, skills, and experience as they earn an income, thus alleviating the education and life expenses tug-of-war that prevents individuals from pursuing educational opportunities. Seamlessly integrating the full WBL continuum into the Indiana talent development system will allow for both businesses and constituents to find sustainable success. Through coordinated efforts with State and local partners and employers much progress has been made on these efforts.  

Hoosier workforce regions have utilized WBL models for many years. Through the VR program, for example, students receiving pre-employment transition services can access paid internships or work-experiences. Over 4,000 stipends have been issued to students in FY2023 for WBL experiences and VR recently updated written guidance and training for VR staff on opportunities to expand WBL opportunities, including paid opportunities, for VR participants.  

On-the-job and customized training programs, like those mentioned, have been widely used and are very effective tools. Indiana’s policies are developed to ensure that our partners continually evaluate and improve their work and learn strategies. Specifically, Indiana’s workforce partners are required to review all WBL programs with each company to ensure the training received truly provides a high-quality experience for the participant and helps them either advance at that company or pursue work at another company. Additionally, Indiana’s policies require a review of the employment and advancement trends at employers that utilize WBL models to ensure participants are completing training, finding employment, and then persisting in that employment.  

DWD’s Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeships (OWBLA) continues its scalable framework for State level apprenticeship programs, State Earn and Learn (SEAL). As a comprehensive program, SEALs provide more flexibility than a registered apprenticeship program, while maintaining a high level of quality and consistency, and are State certified through OWBLA. The SEAL model strategically incorporates related instruction, on-the-job training, and rewards for skill gain, all leading to at least one industry recognized credential, college credit, and developing a highly trained employee to meet the talent needs of Hoosier employers. These models are easily scaled across the State and have been developed for both the youth and adult populations. The State is actively involved in continuous evaluation of its full strategy for the implementation of registered apprenticeships throughout the State. 

By coordinating with local partners, employers, and sector organizations to mitigate employer challenges, the State has been able to generate employer support for broader participation in WBL statewide. The State continues to work with the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship in Indiana to coordinate information, expansion, and eligibility of apprenticeships in Indiana.  Since 2018, OWBLA has been awarded and managed more than $9.6 million in U.S. DOL apprenticeship expansion funding. Further development of registered apprenticeships will play an increasingly important role with businesses across all industries by providing a pipeline of skilled workers to help them remain competitive. Indiana has over 800 active apprenticeship programs and over 18,000 active apprentices in FY2023. Since 2018, Indiana has ranked, on average, in the Top 6 for the number of total apprentices, new apprentices, and completions among all states and territories. In fact, Indiana has ranked as high as #2 for both new apprentices and completions and is currently the #2 state for number of apprentices per capita. Yet, like the rest of the nation, Indiana currently lacks much needed diversity in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, and business sector roles. DWD received the 2023 U.S. Department of Labor State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula (SAEF) grant and the 2022 Apprenticeship Building America Expansion (ABA) grant to grow the foundational apprenticeship support ecosystem and increase apprenticeships throughout the State. Through the support of these grants, the DWD has worked with Indiana’s U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeships and other key stakeholders to:  

• Identify ways to integrate registered apprenticeship into State education and workforce systems (i.e. WIOA)  

• Engage industry and other partners to expand apprenticeship to new and critical sectors, such as IT, healthcare and social assistance, cybersecurity, and business services and to new non-traditional populations at scale, including through career and technical education programs of study design 

• Conduct outreach and work with national, State, and local intermediaries, as well as employers, to design and scale quality WBL programs  

• Identify ways to promote greater inclusion and diversity in apprenticeship, such as subgrants with The Indiana Plan and partnerships with organizations such as the Urban League, the Latino Institute, etc. 

• Conduct research and design pathways in partnership with key stakeholders for Youth Registered Apprenticeship programs 

• Incorporate Registered Apprenticeship programs onto the State’s Education, Training and Provider List (ETPL) 

• Expand the State’s current apprenticeship model using SEAL programs and Certified Pre-Apprenticeship (Pre-RAP) programs 

To provide alignment with the workforce system, the LWDBs serve as Registered Apprenticeship Intermediaries to assist in the expansion and facilitation of all Registered Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship programming across the State. Indiana will continue to expand Registered Apprenticeship programs as well as the number of apprentices enrolled in these programs.