INDIANA FISCAL POLICY INSTITUTE |
IN THE NEWS
Indiana’s ambitious plan to boost apprenticeships ‘will be challenging,’ per new reportIndiana Capital Chronicle As Hoosier education leaders lean deeper into a statewide model that emphasizes work-based learning, a new report from the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute cautions that while apprenticeships are widely considered to be a “gold standard” of workforce training, scaling the programs to meet current needs ”will be challenging.” Employer demand for workers continues to outpace Indiana’s supply of individuals looking for work, said IFPI President Stephanie Wells, who authored the policy brief. Like many other states, Indiana is now seeking to create robust youth and adult apprenticeship programming. | Indiana needs a holistic state strategy for building a 21st century workforceIndiana Capital Chronicle August 5, 2024 For close to a decade, policy makers in Indiana have been concerned about a growing skills gap in the workforce. This is realized in the data — a recent national study from the Georgetown University Center on Education finds that economic opportunity will increasingly favor workers with higher levels of education and training. The report forecasts the number of good jobs for workers ages 25–64 and finds that 85 percent of good jobs will go to workers with some form of postsecondary education and training by 2031. However, only about one-third of Indiana’s graduates earn a 2- or 4-year college degree. The combination of a growing skills gap and low labor force participation will continue to be a critical challenge to growing Indiana’s economy. Policy makers are wise to consider it a primary area of concern. |
