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WorkINdiana Enrolls Over 4,000 Students Since Inception
By Brenda Johnson, Program Manager of Educational and Training Programs, DWD
The
Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) created the WorkINdiana
program to provide short-term occupational training to adult education
students. WorkINdiana training focuses on in-demand occupations and enables students
to gain industry-recognized certifications. This program is integral to the
mission of the DWD as it enables Hoosiers in need of adult education services
to overcome barriers and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to access
better career opportunities.
The
success of WorkINdiana can be measured in many ways, but none so more as enrollment
since the program’s inception. Just five years ago the program had only 400
enrollments. Today, WorkINdiana enrollment has increased ten-fold to over 4,000.
Many
Hoosiers have been empowered by WorkINdiana to realize a better career. One
such success story is Dylan Monahan, who faced many disadvantages prior to
enrolling. Dylan was a high school dropout with no work history and was scoring
below basic skill levels on assessment tests. Additionally, his father was unemployed and
his mother suffered from a disability.
When
Dylan enrolled in WorkINdiana his goals were to increase his basic skill levels
and obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). With the steady support of his
case managers and a strong commitment towards achievement, Dylan was soon able
to accomplish both of his goals. Dylan now has his High School Equivalency (HSE)
diploma, is a licensed CDL driver, and has acquired a job where he utilizes his
skills and CDL training. Dylan began employment in January 2016 as a warehouse
driver for Crown Lift Trucks and is earning a good wage while working full
time. He is now able to support himself and has a bright future in his chosen
career.
Click here to learn more about WorkINdiana and the nearly 30 career certifications that Hoosiers can enroll in today to start earning tomorrow.
By Mellisa Leaming, Director of Operations, Region 4 Workforce Development Board
 Propelled by a nearly $2.2 million Skill UP! Indiana grant
from DWD along with an additional $766,000 private sector match, the Region
4 Skill Up Alliance has developed “work and learn” career pathways in
manufacturing that focus on immediate and future hiring needs. The funds are being used to train 450 Hoosiers,
ages 18 and older, who have completed high school and are interested in a manufacturing career. Training for these future manufacturing
workers has already begun in Lafayette and Kokomo and will run through August
2017. Additionally, a high-school focused program will introduce another 120
young adults to advanced manufacturing via an internship through Conexus of
Indiana.
The first
class started on March 28th, 2016, with seven participants enrolled. Six of the seven participants have already received
Advanced Manufacturing Standardized Work Certifications from Purdue University
Polytechnic Institute, internships with Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc.,
Heartland Automotive and Wabash National, and have been offered full-time employment.
The initial class included
veterans, people with high school diplomas, people with post-secondary degrees,
people with several years of work experience, and others with very little
experience.
“Before the SKILL UP program I was
working dead end temp jobs, where I didn’t
have consistent income,” said one program participant. “As of today, I have
been at Subaru in Lafayette for two months...and I am getting my family and life
back on track.”
The Alliance
has three training sessions in process at this time with a new class begins
every month. The funding covers
residents in a 12-county area—Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Fountain, Howard,
Miami, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Warren and White. Skill
UP Alliance members include: Caterpillar, Haynes International, Heartland
Automotive, Kirby Risk, Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. and Wabash National.
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Four Initiatives Supporting
Work & Learn Activities
By Natalie Wenzler, MPA, Associate Director of Employer
Engagement for DWD
Expanding work and learn experiences in Indiana is essential
to connecting individuals to high demand occupations, as Amy Marsh stated in
the last newsletter of Engage, Align,
Advance. Work
and learn experiences, such as internships and apprenticeships, give students
practical connection to employers and teach them highly sought employability
skills.
Here are four ways that the state is supporting work and
learn opportunities in Indiana.
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A
cross-agency team will convene to work on priorities for the National Governors Association Policy
Academy on Work Based Learning on October 19 and 20, 2016.
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The
Innovative Work and Learn Grant opportunity is awarding up to $40,000 for each
Indiana Regional Works Council to foster and scale the most innovative and
effective work-and-learn models in the state. More information including the grant
guidelines can be found here.
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On
June 2, Indiana received a U.S. Department of Labor $200,000 ApprenticeshipUSA
State Accelerator Grant to expand and support apprenticeship programs. View the news
release.
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DWD
continues to support work and learn initiatives statewide through the Skill UP!
Indiana grants. The Round 1 recipients began work in February 2016 with
multiple programs offering work and learn programs around the state. The
application process for Round 2 is ongoing. Visit the Skill UP! Indiana website to learn more.
 Hoosier Hot 50:
Job of the Month
Each month, this newsletter will highlight one of the Hoosier Hot 50 (HH50) jobs. HH50 is a listing of the fastest growing, high-wage jobs of tomorrow. The list's ranking is based on expected demand and wages in 2022 for the state of Indiana. Although HH50 focuses on the jobs of tomorrow, there are several professions that are hot now.
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 #22: Maintenance Supervisor
Average Salary: $57,360
Education Training: Certification
Major Industry: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Related Occupations: First Line Supervisors of Production Workers, First Line Supervisor of Construction Trade and Extraction Workers
2012 Employment: 10,610
2022 Projections: 11,519
Annual Growth: 8.57%
Annual Change: 378
"A person that would like this job would have to be somebody that likes to work with their hands and can't mind getting dirty.Advice I'd give you if you're looking for a job-- like this is definitely-- go to school. Get training. The more certifications you have and the more training you have, the quicker you will move up." ~ Ann, Maintenance Supervisor, Beck Toyota
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