Expanding Youth Apprenticeships at a Critical Moment in Indiana

Elkhart County, Indiana, is in the midst of a workforce transformation.

In 2009, over 200 education, government, and industry leaders coalesced to address some of the toughest challenges facing the community’s young people, including low college graduation rates and disengagement from education. Tasked with re-engaging students inside and outside of the classroom, Horizon Education Alliance (HEA) was born shortly thereafter to bring businesses and educators together to provide world-class education and training to every person in Elkhart County.

In 2019, HEA welcomed 12 high school students as part of the inaugural class of CareerWise Elkhart County youth apprentices. These students work in sectors such as IT, health care, manufacturing, law, and education.

As of this month, the “RV Capital of the World'' is taking another monumental step towards solidifying the long-term economic success of its community and students. CareerWise Elkhart County recently received a major grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies to support the expansion of high-quality youth apprenticeships across northern Indiana, an investment that has the power to uplift the region’s youth and connect local employers to a winning talent recruitment strategy.

This support means that more students can have access to a postsecondary education before they graduate high school, allowing them to get a head start on their career path while earning a wage for their work. Given the state of the country’s economic recovery, it’s more important than ever to connect young people to quality jobs. While the unemployment rate of young Americans has steadily decreased over the past few months, there is plenty of room for growth.

“My CareerWise apprenticeship has been more beneficial than anything else I could have done, and I will have two or three years experience in a professional setting right out of school,” said Graham Neer, an apprentice at Kem Krest in Elkhart, Indiana. “Other kids won’t have that.”

The benefits of youth apprenticeship don’t just affect students—they also allow businesses to have access to a clear-cut roadmap for recruiting and retaining fresh talent. By mentoring young people as they prepare to enter the workforce or as they gear up for their potential job path, Elkhart County employers are able to have a direct hand in training future employees with the skills and knowledge needed while on-the-job. This was a concern initially voiced by Elkhart County’s industries and businesses, many of which lacked the resources to effectively train talent before they were introduced to youth apprenticeship strategies.

Before its launch, CareerWise Elkhart County learned from the structures and experience from national youth apprenticeship leaders to steer the initiative towards success. In 2017, Horizon Education Alliance led a research trip to see first-hand a successful regional youth apprenticeship at work in South Carolina. One year later, community and state leaders traveled to Germany and Switzerland to learn from the European model of training young people for future careers. This field research, coupled with a long history of collaboration between Elkhart County’s schools, industry, partners, and chambers of commerce and a strong career-awareness imperative county-wide, laid the groundwork for CareerWise Elkhart County’s recent successes.

CareerWise Elkhart County continued through these unprecedented times, bringing in a second cohort of eight new apprentices in 2020. Furthermore, four young registered apprentices successfully completed their registered USDOL apprenticeship program, earning them the USDOL Certificate of Completion. All four are continuing their post-secondary education. As fall of 2021 approaches, CareerWise Elkhart County anticipates a third cohort with 24 new apprentices.

With the Partnership for Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA) and the support of its National Network behind them, Elkhart County has plenty of experienced partners to rely on as they realize an ambitious vision for the future of the state. Across the country, PAYA National Partners have launched and successfully expanded youth apprenticeship opportunities to revive and re-energize communities struggling with job vacancies and youth disengagement. PAYA will tap these partners to help Elkhart County navigate the process of translating their success with youth apprenticeship from pilot, to program, to dynamic regional system.

Over the next few years, with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies and PAYA, CareerWise Elkhart County will work even more closely with educational institutions, young people, local businesses, and other stakeholders to propel a community that once struggled to connect even half of its students to college degrees into long-term economic success for industries and individuals. After struggling for so long with worrisome career prospects and youth disengagement, Elkhart County has landed on a model that has the potential to bring a brighter future into closer view.

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