More than 10,000 Hoosiers have completed a high-demand certificate program through Indiana’s Next Level Jobs Workforce Ready Grant, which provides tuition-free certificates in five of the state’s most high-demand professions.
“We are focused on driving economic growth in Indiana and that starts with leveraging the tools we have available, beginning with education and training,” Gov. Eric Holcomb said during his State of the State address on Jan. 14. “Indiana is moving in the right direction and these 10,000-plus Hoosier adults that have put themselves on a better path are helping us get closer to our goal.”
Holcomb was encouraged by the participation numbers but added, “we’re not done yet and we won’t rest until all Hoosiers are skilled-up and prospering.”
The state said Indiana’s high-demand professions include health and life sciences; information technology and business services; building and construction, transportation and logistics; and advanced manufacturing.
The state said more than 900 employers have taken advantage of the state’s Employer Training Grant to train more than 9,000 employees. Since Next Level Jobs launched in 2017, more than 23,000 Hoosiers have enrolled in the Workforce Ready Grant program.
Next Level Jobs supports Indiana’s goal of having 60% of Hoosiers with a quality credential beyond a high school diploma by 2025. Currently, the state’s educational attainment is at 43.4%, which represents an increase of 10 percentage points since 2008.
Workforce certificates account for about 5% of Indiana’s educational attainment rate.
Next Level Jobs builds on recent efforts and reforms at the K-12 level to better prepare students for future success and ease the transition to higher learning – including graduation pathways requirements for high school students to incorporate a focus on career exploration and postsecondary readiness.
Other efforts to increase the educational attainment among Hoosiers include seeking out adults who were previously enrolled in college but didn’t finish and encouraging them to complete their degrees. The state said to date, 2,000 adults have re-enrolled and completed their degrees with the support of Indiana’s Adult Student Grant, while another 19,000 have re-enrolled and are in the process of completing their degrees.
Employer training grants provide funding to Indiana companies who hire new employees, train them and keep them for at least six months. The grants offer up to $5,000 per employee or up to $50,000 per employer and is part of the Next Level Jobs initiative.
