EDUCATION

Strategy 3:

Align career pathway programs with the region’s K-12 and postsecondary education systems to support future workforce needs.

About The Objectives

The final strategy in the education pillar focuses on ensuring that current pathways in K-12 and post-secondary education align with workforce needs. This alignment is critical to help retain local talent, fight “brain drain,” and teach students about what the county has to offer in a job or career path. Businesses and industries in the region have expressed concerns over the turnover of employees or the mismatch of skills and knowledge with their employment requirements. While some employers during the pandemic were providing on-the-job training because they needed trained employees, others did not have the capacity or ability to offer that training. This is particularly true for businesses in the knowledge-based sector like banks, healthcare, and social services. Besides addressing technical skills, this strategy addresses training for soft skills which focuses on communication, teamwork, collaboration, and problem-solving.

Align Training and Education with Employers’ Needs

Attaining post-secondary education training is a major issue in preparing the region’s next-generation workforce. Nearly 50 percent of the region has had some college education or obtained a Bachelor’s degree or higher. This means that nearly 50 percent of the population have only a high school diploma or lack even a high school diploma. Additionally, nearly 50 percent of people in the region aged 25-64 lack an Associate degree, certificate, or certification. These logistical hurdles have affected the number of professional jobs in the region, and likely why graduates who have a higher education have not come back to the region. Meanwhile, local employers, especially those in trades, manufacturing, and health care, face pressing talent shortfalls and are clamoring for additional workers.

This means that those individuals who choose not to go to a university or want to stay in the region need other choices and opportunities. While the K-12 school systems are working hard to offer pathways to students, the

IND15RPC and its partners need to work with employers and post-secondary education systems to align training and educational offerings with employer needs and equip residents with the specialized, soft skills that employers value. All organizations will need to seek a better understanding of the career pathways now, and in the future, for occupations that are in demand, growing, and typically provide middle- or high-wage jobs.

Increased Communication to the Community on Choices

Besides providing and adjusting career pathways, another gap in the educational pillar is centered around communication. Oftentimes, youth and their parents do not know when and how to start talking about career choices. In rural communities resources are spread thin, and especially so after the pandemic. While some schools have career counselors others don’t and so all possible career choices are not known to students, parents, or even teachers. Oftentimes they may not be aware of the training opportunities, job shadowing, and benefits that are possible.

Increasing Availability of Technology and Laboratories to K-12 Students

To ensure K-12 students are prepared for future careers in STEM, robotics, lasers, and technology, investments in facilities within the region need to be made. These types of upgrades are often costly so not every school system may have the funds or support to be able to afford this. Like the regional incubators, an opportunity exists to support the development of specialized programs that are aligned with emerging industry fourth generation (Industry 4.0) demands and the curriculum has been developed in alignment with Indiana’s Next Level Pathways and includes K-12 partners. With improvements in facilities and programming, students would be able to have hands-on training to troubleshoot automated manufacturing equipment like PLCs, robotics, pneumatics, hydraulics, and motors and controls. Additionally, students would gain critical competencies in artificial intelligence, human to robot collaboration, big data, logistic centers across global markets, additive and subtractive manufacturing, and lean manufacturing concepts, all of which are the next generation of learning.

Objective Priority Actions

A. Expand technical education opportunities for students within the K-12 system to train and engage a workforce that has the technical and soft skills that are aligned to the future needs of the regional workforce and helps businesses remain competitive.

1. Develop a communications plan to engage teachers, students, parents, and the broader community on the benefits of “working locally.” Highlight the training opportunities in place, and the rewarding careers awaiting them.

B. Work with local businesses to integrate them into the education process to ensure training and classes provide necessary skills to students.

1. Engage employers in targeted industries and determine current programs.

2. Develop internship programs for employers in small to mid-sized companies in the region.

3. Establish programs for high school students to learn about jobs in the region and a pathway to entry.

4. Enhance job shadowing programs with employers.

5. Establish regional career exhibitions to connect students with summer job opportunities.

6. Work with local employers to develop a strategy to retain post-secondary talent that links experiential work and learning opportunities.

C. Work with local colleges and universities and the school systems to upgrade systems to implement the smart manufacturing and digital integration career programs in the region.

1. Local pathway is important - several high school students have been able to get a full-time job out of high school and training continues in real-time at the job. “Stay here, we’ll train you!”

Objective Priority Actions

D. Expand the Southern Indiana Gateway with the goal of sharing ideas, case studies, and programs that are working in other areas of the region.

E. Communicate the benefits of working locally to engage teachers, students, parents, and the broader community to highlight the training opportunities in place, and the rewarding careers awaiting them.

F. Leverage our existing educational assets to attract and engage a workforce for the future.

1. Create a subcommittee of the Southern Indiana Gateway key stakeholders that include school systems, community leaders, and local technical colleges and universities with the goal of sharing ideas, case studies, and programs that are working in other areas of the region.

1. Develop a marketing campaign for career pathways and the benefits of working locally.

2. Add career coaches in all high schools.

1. Identify any current skill gaps between the workforce and future jobs.

2. Develop a strategy to close skill gaps.

3. Work with local businesses and industries to recruit for open positions.

Partners

• 4C (Building Blocks)

• 4-H

• Chambers of Commerce

• Child & Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

• Commercial childcare and home care

• Community Volunteers

• Early Learning Indiana

• Education and Entrepreneurship in Dubois County (EEDC)

• Elmer Buchta Entrepreneur & Technology Center

• Faith-based organizations

• Grow Southwest Indiana Workforce

• Head Start Programs

• Hoosier Uplands

• Hub19

• Indiana Commission on Higher Education

• Indiana Department of Child Services

• Indiana Department of Education

• Indiana Governor’s Workforce Cabinet

• Indiana Office of Community & Rural Affairs (OCRA)

• Lincoln Hills Development Corporation (Head Start)

• Indiana Spark Learning Lab

• Indiana Youth Institute (IYI)

• Indiana Youth Service Bureau Association

• IU Center for Rural Engagement

• Ivy Tech Community College

• Junior Achievement of Southern Indiana

• Local businesses & industries

• Local Career and Technical Education (CTE) Cooperatives

• Local Community Foundations

• Local Economic Development Organizations (LEDOs)

• Local School Corporations

• Major Employers

• Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship

• Oakland City University (OCU)

• Other programs not associated with colleges and universities

• Perry Childcare Initiative

• Private Early Childhood Education & Childcare Centers

• Public Libraries

• Purdue Extension

• School Corporations (before and after school care & childcare programs)

• The State (FSSA & the Indiana Office of Early Childhood & Out of School Learning i.e. OECOSL)

• Southern Indiana Gateway (SIG)

• TriCap

• Unions

• Vincennes University City of Jasper

• WestGate

• WorkONE

• YMCA

Target Audience

• Adults needing new skills for higher paying jobs

• Businesses and Regional Employers that are interested in training programs

• Current & prospective providers within the region

• Entrepreneurs

• Faith-based organizations

• Future employers

• K-12 Students

• Local Leaders (including government leaders)

• Local & Regional Employers

• Other professionals with specific skills who could teach a class/train students

• Parents

• School Corporations

• Stakeholders

• Superintendents

• Teachers and Professors