A letter from the new CEO, Q&A with Ascend and more.

A Letter from Brad Rhorer, Ascend’s New President and CEO

I joined Ascend Indiana as President and CEO three months ago with a personal passion for and long-time career dedicated to workforce development. As a proud 50-year Indiana resident, I couldn’t think of a better way to serve my state than by championing Ascend’s mission to connect Hoosier employers with Hoosier talent.

Thanks to Ascend’s first President and CEO, Jason Kloth, and the talented staff, the organization is in a position of strength to support Indiana’s economy of the future and provide economic opportunity for all.

Ascend’s stakeholders, including Hoosier employers, educators, and public-sector and philanthropic partners, have entrusted our team with important work. As we continue to grow Ascend’s footprint and impact, I am committed to moving forward with these three tenets:

Listen: We rely on our stakeholders to provide the insights that drive our work. I spent my first three months at Ascend talking with – and more importantly, listening to – our philanthropic and education partners, employers, state leaders and job seekers to determine what Ascend does well and what we can do better. As an organization, we are well positioned to impact lives and help employers thrive, and I want to ensure our team, our expertise and our products are maximized.

Lean in: Ascend has been a valued voice in Indiana’s workforce development ecosystem since its founding in 2016. Our team has demonstrated its expertise through original research, its consulting services and as a valued partner on programs such as modern youth apprenticeships. We will continue to lean into these areas of expertise and define untapped opportunities for increased impact.

Leverage: Through our ongoing work to match thousands of job seekers with good and promising Indiana jobs, we’ve had conversations with even more young adults who are just entering the workforce or looking for new opportunities. We understand what motivates young talent, and we know what careers are available now and those that are on the horizon. We will continue to leverage these learnings to serve Hoosiers seeking a rewarding career while helping Indiana employers identify the right talent for the right role.

I am eager to continue this talent development journey with our stakeholders and look forward to growing Ascend’s impact on Indiana.

Sincerely,

Brad

Q&A with Ascend: The How and Why of Modern Youth Apprenticeship as a System

More than 100 Indiana leaders, part of the CEMETS iLab Indiana coalition, are developing a statewide modern youth apprenticeship system in Indiana as a potential solution to the state’s mounting workforce crisis. The progress of iLab, led by the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation and supported by Ascend Indiana and the Indy Chamber, was at the center of recent testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions as an initiative for scaling a statewide modern youth apprenticeship system in Indiana.

Since January, iLab stakeholders have convened to develop a strategic plan and have traveled to Switzerland, a global leader in creating a modern youth apprenticeship system, to learn best practices.?

Read our Q&A with Erica Viar, Vice President of Consulting at Ascend Indiana, to learn more about modern youth apprenticeship as a system and Indiana’s approach.

Ascend Progress To Date

Ascend Network

760+ employers on the Network

35,700+ applications to Indiana jobs & internships

39 Indiana higher education partnerships (22 Collaborator Agreements)

13,700+ 1:1 meetings with career mentors

55% of people served are from underrepresented backgrounds

Ascend Services & Insights

64 strategic talent projects developed

10 workforce reports published

5,100+ connections to jobs, internships, & training

Ascend In The News

Ascend Indiana has formed partnerships with Purdue University, Anderson University and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College to connect more students with good and promising career opportunities in Indiana through the Ascend Network. Students will be able to connect with Indiana jobs and internships that match their skill sets and interests and will receive increased one-on-one career guidance and job search support.