CEMETS iLab Indiana, a coalition of nearly 200 Indiana leaders, released a plan for Hoosiers to access a new education and training pathway to help prepare them for in-demand careers.
The new pathway will combine classroom instruction with paid job experience for students who may not be pursuing college after high school. The pathway will also enable students to transfer to college if desired.
The iLab’s members come from a variety of workplace sectors and joined together to create this pathway to help solve the state’s mounting workforce shortages.
“The iLab’s strategic plan is the culmination of eight years of research and learning,” said Claire Fiddian-Green, co-chair of CEMETS iLab Indiana and president and CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. “Hoosiers need more pathways to well-paying jobs, and we are excited to move forward with this broad and engaged coalition on clear next steps for building and scaling a system that could welcome students as soon as the 2025-2026 school year.”
The plan builds on the learnings from existing youth apprenticeship programs in Indiana. While these existing programs created work-based learning experiences for students, there was a lack of standardized curriculum and inflexible schedules.
The four priorities of the pathway are:
1. Establish industry “talent associations” to convene employers, identify priority occupations, and create professional pathway programs starting in high school;
2. Create structured mechanisms enabling learners to move up and/or across the college and professional pathways;
3. Design a labor market-aligned career advising system starting in middle school that has the capacity to serve all students in Indiana; and
4. Define clear roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders, including employers, educators, nonprofit and government representatives.
“This plan is designed to ensure that our education and training system meets the needs of students, employers, and the state, and is a unique opportunity to invest in homegrown Hoosier talent,” said Matt Mindrum, president and CEO of the Indy Chamber. “This innovative new approach will position Indiana as a leader in solving the complex, nationwide challenges of workforce development and education reform.”
To learn more, visit ilabstrategicplan.org.
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Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
