A new professional apprenticeship and training pathway for Hoosiers received over $1 million in grants to fund the next steps.
The CEMETS iLab Indiana strategic plan is a pathway rooted in a youth apprenticeship experience starting in high school that could welcome students as early as the 2025-26 school year.
The Fairbanks Foundation is awarding grants to two Indiana organizations to launch Indiana talent associations. The associations will work with employers to select occupants, identify needed skills and collaborate with educators to develop education and training content.
CEMETS iLab Indiana is a coalition of more than 200 leaders representing a variety of sectors ranging from business to higher education to government. The coalition identified the creation of the talent associations as the priority of the next step in their plan for the training pathway to serve thousands of Hoosiers. Many who are selected may not have opted to attend college or pursue training after high school.
“The need for this new way to access professional education and training is clear. By 2031, 72% of U.S. jobs will require education beyond high school, but only 39% of Indiana adults 25 or older have an associate degree or higher,” said Claire Fiddian-Green, president and CEO of the Fairbanks Foundation and co-chair of CEMETS iLab Indiana. “The Fairbanks Foundation is proud to fund critical next steps in building an approach that prepares students for careers and addresses Indiana’s workforce shortages.”
The first set of talent associations are in industries facing talent shortfalls. To fund the creation of talent associations in health care, life sciences and advanced manufacturing and logistics, the Fairbanks Foundation has awarded two-year grants of up to $250,000. The organizations are:
- BioCrossroads: Health care talent association
- BioCrossroads: Life sciences talent association
- Conexus Indiana: Advanced manufacturing and logistics talent association
The grants are contingent upon the organization’s ability to secure matching funds from employers within their industries.
“While there is no one solution, the Indiana Apprenticeship Pathway can help open the doors for everyone to achieve their individual economic and career dreams,” said Melina Kennedy, CEO of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership and member of the iLab’s Governing Committee.
For more information about CEMETS iLab Indiana and their work, visit ilabindianastrategicplan.org.
This reporting is made possible by a grant from the Indianapolis African-American Quality of Life Initiative, empowering our community with essential health insights. https://iaaqli.org/
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Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
