The jobs of the future are here. Indiana is getting the workforce ready. – Inside INdiana Business

During my nearly 30 years in the automotive industry, there was one thing that was constant: Change. When I first started on the production floor 32 years ago, automotive component welding was done by hand; today robots are programmed to weld those same components. Processes, technologies and the workforce have evolved over three industrial revolutions, and as Indiana–and the world–continues to march into the fourth (better known as Industry 4.0), we face an all-too-common theme. With new technology comes the need to upskill and reskill our workforce.

Throughout centuries of significant change, Indiana’s advanced manufacturing industry continuously adapted and reinvented itself and Indiana largely maintained its position as the most manufacturing intensive state in the nation.   

Now, the world is becoming firmly entrenched in Industry 4.0, with digital technologies such as cobots, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and artificial intelligence increasing competitiveness and productivity. Over the last three years, Indiana manufacturers have invested upwards of $800 million in new technologies through the Manufacturing Readiness Grants program. In 2023, Indiana reported that companies here and around the world committed to locate or expand in Indiana investing more than $28.7 billion. That, coupled with the recent record-breaking announcement of an $11 billion Amazon Web Services data center and Toyota’s $1.4 billion investment in electric vehicle production at its Princeton plant, and you have the makings of a tidal wave of new jobs and in-demand skills.

Emerging industry growth and technology adoption both represent significant opportunities for Hoosier talent. According to a recent report from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute, there could be at least 3.8 million new jobs in the U.S. manufacturing industry by 2033. Nearly 2 million of those jobs could go unfilled without significant talent development initiatives.   

As President and CEO of Ascend Indiana, an intermediary that works with myriad stakeholders to build Indiana’s talent pipeline, I can tell you that Indiana’s employers, educators and government leaders are effectively working together to prepare Hoosiers for tomorrow’s careers.  

Here are some things we are doing right:

• Aligning industry, education and the public sector around a common goal of preparing Hoosier talent for new jobs. One example: Indiana post-secondary institutions, including Purdue University and Ivy Tech Community College, are collaborating to help develop talent for employment in the semiconductor and microelectronics industries. Corporate training programs for industry-driven credentials, curriculum for associate and bachelor’s degrees and outreach to high schools are among their partnership goals.
• Making Indiana a great place to live and work by investing in quality of place through $1 billion in Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) grants. According to the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, the state expects to leverage more than $20 billion in outside capital for projects in 92 counties.
• Reskilling and upskilling Hoosiers to grow and move up within the manufacturing sector. Companies provide training on a regular basis to ensure their workforce is prepared to succeed as new products, processes and technologies are introduced. Programs, such as Conexus Indiana’s Catapult Indiana, also prepare Hoosiers for entry-level jobs with the skills to quickly adapt to new opportunities as their careers progress.  

And here are things we need to amplify:

• Tackling brain drain by encouraging more students who graduate from Indiana post-secondary schools to start their careers here. Indiana is home to some of the world’s largest, most innovative manufacturing companies; small to medium size companies, entrepreneurs and new ventures make up a large part of Indiana’s economy, as well. Students need to know that. Our post-secondary education institutions are graduating incredible talent, including multi-discipline engineers, mechanical engineers and chemical engineers. We need to stop losing that talent to other states, and industry partners need to be consistently engaged in this work.
• Starting early. Our k-12 education system includes many STEM courses, but there are opportunities to do more. Inspiring elementary school students to imagine what careers are possible in Indiana could impact their educational journeys for years to come. There are many productive career pathways out of high school available through programs such as Career and Technical Education (CTE).  
• Providing hands-on, work-based learning opportunities. Youth apprenticeship, internships and work-based learning opportunities are becoming more common. There are efforts underway to build a system that makes youth apprenticeship opportunities available to every Indiana student. At the same time, Indiana’ high school redesign recommendations are improving access to work-based learning opportunities.

It’s clear that the jobs of the future are here. And, if we take any lessons from the past three industrial revolutions, it’s that we can adapt and evolve to find our State persistently leading the nation in the industries and jobs that move the world’s economy forward. I am proud that Ascend Indiana is actively working alongside public, private, academic and other partners to strengthen programs that work and create new approaches to talent development so that Hoosiers have opportunities to participate and succeed in Indiana’s ever-changing economic landscape.

Brad Rhorer is the president and CEO of Ascend Indiana, the talent and workforce development initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership. To learn more about Ascend Indiana, visit www.ascendindiana.com.

Story Continues Below