Website
http://ascendindiana.com/
Primary Contact
Jason Kloth
President and CEO
Contact via email
Mission statement
The Ascend Indiana vision is every Indiana employer will have access to the skilled workforce necessary to thrive, and every Indiana citizen will have the opportunity to pursue a self-sustaining career path. Ascend Indiana seeks talent solutions for employers and encourages a supportive ecosystem. It is the culmination of a comprehensive analysis of domestic, state and regional labor markets, a review of local and national workforce development best practices, input from key state and regional stakeholders, and discussions with a steering committee composed of leadership from the business and education communities.
Actions
Actions are activities derived from the Plan 2020 planning process that a partner has committed to implement.
Ascend Indiana is working on the following actions:
Strategy
Expand existing and create additional industry-led, sector-specific workforce development and attraction efforts in high-growth, high-demand sectors.
Action
Create and support a cross-sector, employer-led leadership advisory council
Start Date:
January 1, 2016
Completion Date:
July 31, 2016
Progress
100%
Strategy
Expand existing and create additional industry-led, sector-specific workforce development and attraction efforts in high-growth, high-demand sectors.
Action
Identify/confirm gaps in the supply of educated workers and demand from employers
Start Date:
July 1, 2017
Completion Date:
December 31, 2020
Progress
10%
The research design and scoping phase of Ascend’s annual supply and demand studies is on track for 2017 publication. Preparations for the regional workforce analysis will begin in 2017.
Strategy
Expand existing and create additional industry-led, sector-specific workforce development and attraction efforts in high-growth, high-demand sectors.
Action
Create and implement sector specific talent retention and attraction initiatives
Start Date:
July 1, 2016
Completion Date:
December 31, 2020
Progress
50%
Ascend successfully built a nursing talent pipeline program in partnership with a local health network and university. Ascend is discussing talent pipeline projects with additional employers.
Strategy
Boost attainment of associate's and bachelor's degrees at Marion County campuses.
Action
Create internship opportunities across sectors in Central Indiana for Indiana college students to promote living and working in Central Indiana
Start Date:
July 1, 2016
Completion Date:
December 31, 2020
Progress
15%
Ascend is currently securing higher education partners for the IELF program to attract and retain talent.
Strategy
Expand existing and create additional industry-led, sector-specific workforce development and attraction efforts in high-growth, high-demand sectors.
Action
Create and implement initiatives or incentives and support initiatives that close identified skills gaps, across training and education platforms including industry recognized certificate attainment, apprenticeships, associate degree attainment, bachelors attainment, post-graduate fellowships and advanced degree attainment; and including “upskilling” for incumbent workers
Start Date:
July 1, 2016
Completion Date:
December 31, 2020
Progress
50%
Ascend Indiana secured a partnership to bring a fully-accredited, competency-based platform to the region for upskilling incumbent workers with associate’s and bachelor’s degrees. The partner has initiated several pilots with local companies to-date, with plans for continuous growth. Ascend is currently in conversation with several reputable national initiatives to close skills gaps.
Strategy
Create industry-led, sector-specific workforce development infrastructure which provides clear information about career pathways and identify quality training opportunities enabling job seekers to pursue opportunities for higher skilled, higher wage employment.
Action
Create and support collaborative of community-based organizations providing training and support to underprepared workers
Start Date:
July 1, 2018
Completion Date:
December 31, 2018
Progress
30%
Ascend has convened the regional workforce partnership members on three occasions to coordinate regional efforts to address these needs. Ascend is actively soliciting reputable national partners.
Strategy
Create industry-led, sector-specific workforce development infrastructure which provides clear information about career pathways and identify quality training opportunities enabling job seekers to pursue opportunities for higher skilled, higher wage employment.
Action
Create and implement initiatives or support and incentivize initiatives to close training resource gaps, across platforms including work readiness training programs, and around data collection and data sharing to enable ongoing improvement in job training and placement efforts
Start Date:
July 1, 2019
Completion Date:
December 31, 2019
Progress
10%
Ascend is continuously collaborating with regional workforce development stakeholders through regional workforce partnership meetings and routine strategy and process co-development efforts.
Strategy
Create industry-led, sector-specific workforce development infrastructure which provides clear information about career pathways and identify quality training opportunities enabling job seekers to pursue opportunities for higher skilled, higher wage employment.
Action
Create clear, easily accessible and understandable information about where to access “career pathways” sector specific training
Start Date:
January 1, 2019
Completion Date:
June 30, 2020
Progress
10%
Ascend is developing an online talent platform solution to capture data in employer, job-seeker, and education provider profiles.