Johnson County and Southern Indy News

Unfilled Open Jobs? Workforce Training Grants Available!

With Indiana’s unemployment rates at historic lows, business managers need to consider skilling-up existing workers and recruiting candidates with little to no experience. Indiana’s “Next Level Jobs” training grants enable you to do just that.

Your Chamber wants you to know about this program because it believes true business success lies in the heart of each company: its people.

What is the Next Level Jobs initiative? The program focuses on helping Indiana companies fill the high-demand jobs in high-priority sectors that are driving Indiana’s 21st Century economy forward. Employers like yourself can be reimbursed up to $5,000 for each new employee who is trained, hired and retained for six months, up to a total of $50,000 per company. These numbers reflect a recent doubling of the previous levels by the state legislature.

Other recent changes make the training grant easier for employers to use, such as also including existing employees who receive training that leads to increased work responsibilities and higher wages.

Download information on this grant program here.

“In our quest to connect members with resources to help their businesses grow and prosper, we think this grant opportunity is important,” said Chamber President and CEO Christian Maslowski. “We are aware of many open jobs that can be filled by training new workers."

More than 100 occupations are eligible for grants in a half-dozen high-growth sectors – perhaps one of them is yours. Sectors include advanced manufacturing, agriculture, building and construction, health sciences, information and business services, and transportation and logistics. To see the complete list, click here.

The grant fund is limited, so interested businesses are encouraged to inquire quickly.

Grants cover tuition for training leading to a career certificate from Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University. Ivy Tech has a campus locally in Franklin and Vincennes has two Indianapolis locations. Changes may occur this summer that expand the list of training providers which could possibly include Central Nine Career Center in Greenwood at some point, according to the Next Level Jobs office.

“We currently have about 95,000 job openings around the state. Now more than ever, our state needs to ramp up efforts to prepare Hoosiers for the jobs available today — and for the one million more we expect to have open by 2025,” Gov. Eric Holcomb said. “Next Level Jobs will drive our efforts to meet that demand and will put hardworking Hoosiers in high-need, high-wage careers.”

The openings are expected due to retirements of Baby Boomers and creation of jobs as the Indiana economy expands and diversifies. Response to the program has been “tremendous,” the governor added, noting that in less than one year, it has provided $5.2 million in funds to 247 employers for training nearly 2,300 Hoosiers.

“When our business people are successful, companies grow jobs, the local economy improves, and quality of life improves,” Maslowski said. “Bottom line, we promise to come alongside you with a supportive network of like-minded business leaders to ensure you are supported and encouraged to focus on what really matters to you – your business.”