Industry leaders have a vision for the future of apprenticeship programs throughout the state. CEMETS iLab Indiana, a coalition of nearly 200 business, education and government leaders, is developing a new professional education and training pathway for high school students.
Stakeholders said Indiana’s high school graduates need more skills for employment, especially as fewer students choose a traditional college pathway. That led them to think about a new employer-led professional education pathway.
More than 150 business, education, government and nonprofit leaders made the plan, which uses a model from Switzerland as an example. The Swiss system encourages career exploration in middle school and early high school before placing students on an academic or professional path. It also emphasizes permeability between the two pathways.
Indiana officials started researching Switzerland’s vocational and professional education and training (PVET) system in 2017. The CEMETS iLab report said it is the world’s “gold standard” for both educating students and fulfilling labor needs.
Indiana launched youth apprenticeship pilot programs in 2019. This year, more than 100 employers work with nearly 40 schools and 450 students across the state.
The report said Indiana’s pilot apprenticeship programs showed problems with a lack of uniform industry standards, inflexible high school schedules, few transportation options and fragmented work-based learning. There were also concerns about a lack of comprehensive career advising for students and no high school credentials that recognize skills learned in the workplace.
The report detailed steps the state must take to solve some of these issues so Indiana’s apprenticeship model will more closely resemble Switzerland’s. The first step is to establish “talent associations” to organize industries and develop competencies for students.
That would create a consistent curriculum for every student who chooses career training during high school, regardless of which organization provides that training.
The second step is to establish mechanisms for moving up and across pathways. This means it must be easy for students to either gain new credentials and degrees or move between the academic and professional pathways. Indiana is also studying work in Colorado to build a qualifications framework.
The third step is the creation of a labor market-aligned career advising system. Indiana’s schools have, on average, one guidance counselor for every 649 students. The report noted that Indiana’s school counselors often have little time for career advising and lack updated knowledge about Indiana’s current labor market.
In Switzerland, career advising is completed by local, government-qualified organizations that partner with schools. The advisers stay up to date on career trends and in-demand jobs so they can advise students with information about the current job market.
READ MORE: Indiana scraps GPS diplomas, replaces them with one new base diploma
Join the conversation and sign up for the Indiana Two-Way. Text "Indiana" to 765-275-1120. Your comments and questions in response to our weekly text help us find the answers you need on statewide issues and the election, including our project Civically, Indiana.
The last step is to define each stakeholder’s role and responsibilities around apprenticeship programs. The report mentions that work-based learning across Indiana have been fragmented. It said educators, government officials and employers must all understand their specific place in the new system.
One of the state government's roles includes adding more flexibility for high school students. The Indiana Department of Education is attempting to achieve that goal with new high school diploma requirements.
The CEMETS iLab will develop recommendations for each branch of stakeholder over the next year and will also propose funding models for the apprenticeship system.
There is still considerable work to be done, but Indiana will start to implement the new model by focusing on five industries with predicted shortages: banking, insurance, health care, advanced manufacturing and life sciences. Those industries will be the first to develop talent associations under the new plan and start hiring students.
However, the report said industries like information technology, construction, microelectronics and sports, entertainment, and hospitality could follow.
Stakeholders expect businesses in the first five industries to start hiring students under the new model by the end of 2026.
Kirsten is our education reporter. Contact her at kadair@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @kirsten_adair.