Indianapolis, In. — Graduation season is upon us, and it is time to celebrate our local high school seniors who are finishing up their final classes. Students will now be facing important decisions regarding their next steps. Helpful tools like the Next Level Jobs initiative, Workforce Ready Grants, and Secondary Career and Technical Education are available to help guide those looking to gain more skills and information to enter the workforce.
Indiana’s unemployment rate is 3.2 percent, which is one of the lowest in the nation. We can keep up this momentum by preparing our young Hoosiers for the ever-evolving job market. They need to be able to meet the increased needs of employers locating to and expanding in our state. In response to this, Gov. Eric Holcomb launched the Next Level Jobs initiative last year. This initiative provides Hoosiers access to new resources so they may secure advanced and better-paying jobs, and gives employers additional tools to help fill positions in high-demand fields.
Workforce Ready Grants, established by legislation I supported, covers tuition costs for working-age Hoosiers pursuing technical jobs. These grants aim to grow and strengthen the labor force in our state by helping individuals seeking employment in high-wage jobs. The grant pays the tuition and mandatory fees at Ivy Tech Community College or Vincennes University. The certificate programs covered by the grant include advanced manufacturing, building and construction, health sciences, information technology and business technology, and transportation and logistics.
Learn more about Next Level Jobs, the Workforce Ready Grant and other opportunities through the Next Level Jobs initiative at nextleveljobs.org.
Additional tools Hoosiers should be aware of are the Secondary Career and Technical Education courses. These courses are available to youth and adults for a wide range of high-wage and high-skill technical careers. Students still in high school may, with parental consent, elect to release their information on a form provided by the Department of Education to potential employers recruiting students with a particular career and technical skill.
The future of our workforce falls in the hands of our upcoming graduates, and they should be aware of the assistance that is available to them. If there is any way I can help connect you to a workforce resource or if you have any additional questions, please contact me at [email protected] or 317-234-3827. You can also stay up-to-date with the work being done at the Statehouse and news in our community by signing up to receive my email updates at www.in.gov/h67.
