Ivy Tech report shows growing need to upskill Hoosier workers
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A new white paper released Thursday by Ivy Tech Community College and Ohio-based TEConomy Partners LLC says more than 82,000 working adults in Indiana will need to acquire new skills through non-degree credentials each year over the next decade in order to keep pace with the state’s evolving workforce needs.
Ivy Tech says 69% of open job positions in Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics, health care, and technology sectors will require some form of postsecondary education and training.
“The big takeaway is that Indiana has an ever-growing need for credentials that are not just degrees—these certificates, licenses that meet a need of employers to improve productivity to help us grow our companies and Indiana’s economy,” Ivy Tech President Sue Ellspermann said.
The report, titled “Indiana’s Workforce Transformation: Understanding the Need for Upskilling and Reskilling in a Changing Economy,” says Indiana needs to boost productivity with the workforce it already has, because population constraints are hindering the state’s ability to put more people to work.
According to the report, employers can no longer wait for talent to arrive fully skilled.
“A paradigm shift is underway, with employers transitioning from being ‘reactive consumers’ of talent to ‘co-developers’ of Hoosier talent,” the report said. “By engaging directly with education and workforce systems, employers can help shape training and career pathways aligned with their needs, ensuring that workers develop the competencies, skills, and credentials required for both entry-level and advancement opportunities.”
Ivy Tech cites data from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education that shows just 53% of the state’s high school graduates pursue education and training beyond high school.
Non-degree credentials are industry-recognized certifications, certificates, licenses and other short-term training programs—such as apprenticeships—that provide specialized skills and knowledge without requiring a traditional associate or bachelor’s degree, the college said.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business Host Gerry Dick, Ellspermann said that the credentials needed to gain the necessary skills can also bring added benefits.
“We found several years ago looking at the Workforce Ready Grant that the state did that those individuals were earning $6,000 more the year after they completed that credential,” she said. “So we know that completing these credentials—not only do they get jobs, they get paid more. This drives the economy, so it’s very important.”
Of the 82,000 workers that the state needs to upskill or reskill each year, nearly half of them are in the state’s health care sector, including nurses, medical assistance and health care technicians.
The report says about 24,000 transportation and logistics jobs will also need to see a boost in skills with a particularly growing need for workers skilled in digital logistics and supply chain technologies, Ivy Tech said.
The college said while it produces nearly half of all postsecondary credentials awarded to Hoosiers, it will take a statewide effort to meet future workforce demands.
“Ivy Tech is delivering about 25,000 [credentials] a year…and that number has nearly tripled over the last three years. But we all need to work together on this,” Ellspermann said. “There’s lots to do with our employers, with our state leaders, with our school corporations and school leadership and parents as well, who can help say, ‘Hey, there are great opportunities here without taking on the full burden of a four-year college debt.'”
Ellspermann said Ivy Tech will be inviting employers, industry associations, and state officials to work together toward finding solutions to address the skills gap.
You can connect to the full white paper by clicking here.