Foundation invests nearly $13 million in job apprenticeship programs

By: Taj Simmons

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana teenagers will think about their life after high school long before graduation, once the state's new curriculum takes effect. A new grant for job training could make those decisions easier.

The Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation committed $12.9 million in grants to eight apprenticeship programs in Indiana. The investment will allow teenagers to train on the job while they are still in high school.

"There's very few 10th graders who know what they want to be when they grow up," said Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation president Claire Fiddian-Green. "People are different types of learners. Some prefer hands-on learning. What the new career apprenticeship pathway is doing is creating opportunities."

The grants will help establish the Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway (INCAP) and CEMETS iLab Indiana next fall. The programs will feature paid opportunities for students in careers such as finance, manufacturing, healthcare and information technology.

$380,000 of the $12.9 million grant was awarded to the Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation, which has trained teenagers for careers in construction for a decade.

"There's nothing like walking on a job site in a pair of work boots," said foundation president Chris Price. "They're going to be paid very well for it. A lot of students, by the time they finish high school, will be looking at six-figure jobs."

The foundation will expand its apprenticeship services under the INCAP umbrella.

"Our goal in our first year is to train 100 students, but when you think long term, this is really going to scale up into something much bigger," Price said. "When you're explaining that to a parent or a student and they see those opportunities, it's really cool to see that light turn on."

The $12.9 million Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation grant is divided as follows:

$9.6 million for Ascend Indiana, which will take on a managing role in CEMETS iLab Indiana and INCAP
$1.7 million for the Indy Chamber Foundation, which will organize career fairs
$430,000 for EmployIndy, which will expand its existing Modern Apprenticeship Program
$380,000 for the Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation, which focuses on construction careers
$180,000 for BioCrossroads, which will target students interested in healthcare
$160,000 for the Indiana Chamber Foundation, which focuses on IT
$130,000 for Conexus Indiana, which specializes in manufacturing and logistics
$130,000 for the Indiana Bankers Association, which is for careers in finance