Indiana Launches Tuition, Training Programs For In-Demand Jobs

Indiana says it wants to help train train more Hoosier workers for in-demand jobs. Two grant programs will help cover tuition for career certificates and training costs for employers in what the state calls “high-demand” areas.

The legislature approved $10 million apiece over two years for the two programs – the Workforce Ready Grant and the Employer Training Grant.

Speaking at the Allison Transmission factory in Indianapolis Monday, Gov. Eric Holcomb and other officials say they want to bring unemployed Hoosiers back to the workforce, and help underemployed people move up in their careers.

The Workforce Ready Grant is tuition focused and will pay for students to get two-year or shorter certificates at Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University. It covers five fields with lots of openings and some high wages: manufacturing, logistics, the building trades, health, and tech services.

State higher education commissioner Teresa Lubbers says that’s to make sure grantees can get jobs.

“So we made this a very clear proposal that said, ‘yes, if you do the work in these areas where we know there’s a demand, we’ll make sure it’s tuition-free,’” she says. “But it’s a very targeted campaign around real job creation.”

The other, Employer Training Grant, gives companies in those five areas up to $2,500 to train each new person they hire, provided that person stays on at least six months.

Companies will be chosen first-come, first-served, and get up to $25,000 apiece out of that $10 million pool.