Indiana Workforce Update

According to a 2018 employer survey by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, 51 percent of Hoosier employers left an open job unfilled in the past year because they could not find a qualified applicant.

This alarming statistic is one reason workforce development is crucial to the success of Indiana’s future economy.

Over the past few years, the Indiana General Assembly has passed various initiatives aimed at improving our state’s workforce, and we are already seeing returns on those efforts.

One workforce development initiative, the Next Level Jobs Program, launched by Gov. Eric Holcomb, aims to take Indiana’s workforce to the next level by focusing on the industries and jobs integral to Indiana’s 21st century economy. Since the launch of the program, our state has seen more and more Hoosiers enroll in high-value certificate programs, and completion rates have consistently risen.

For more information on career-training opportunities, visit NextLevelJobs.org.

In 2018 alone, Indiana has accomplished the following:

• Over 28,000 unique leads routed to Ivy Tech, Vincennes University and WorkOne;
• Over 520,000 total visits to NextLevelJobs.org;
• Over 10,000 enrollments in Workforce Ready Grant programs;
• Over 3,900 certificates or certifications earned in Workforce Ready Grant programs; and
• Our unemployment rate stands at 3.6 percent for December and remains lower than the national rate of 3.9 percent.

Additionally, the Senate Republican Caucus recently announced our legislative priorities for this session, which include advancing our state’s workforce development. Legislation introduced in 2019 would benefit Hoosiers as they enter the workforce by focusing on long-term changes and ensuring our existing training programs result in meaningful career paths.

Visit www.in.gov/dwd for more information on Indiana’s workforce development programs.