Job Training
Skills Enhancement Fund (SEF)
The Skills Enhancement Fund (SEF) provides financial assistance to businesses committed to training their workforce. Trainees must be Indiana residents. SEF reimburses eligible training expenses over a two-year term. Companies may reapply for additional SEF funds after their initial two-year term. IEDC typically does not provide reimbursement for training that is required by law. Click here for more information.
Technology Enhancement Certification for Hoosiers (TECH)
The Technology Enhancement Certification for Hoosiers (TECH) Fund is a reimbursement grant program designed to help companies meet the demands of the new IT economy by increasing the number of certified information technology workers in Indiana. This program provides financial assistance to companies that are committed to training their workers on the latest information technology.
Workforce Development Programs
WorkKeys
WorkKeys Job Profiling component offers a concrete way for organizations to analyze the skills needed for specific jobs and to describe those needs to educators, students, and job applicants. Job profiling identifies the workplace skills and the WorkKeys skill levels an individual must have to perform successfully. By comparing job profile information with individual’s scores on the WorkKeys tests, organizations can make reliable decisions about hiring, training, and program development.
WorkKeys assesses the skills employers define as critical to job success. These skills are valuable for any occupation—skilled or professional—and at any level of education. WorkKeys is ACT’s workplace assessment tool and is the gold standard in skills testing. ACT WorkKeys consists of three elements: job skills assessments, job analysis, and skill training.
Thousands of companies worldwide use WorkKeys. WorkKeys uses the same scale to score tests and measure job skills, so you can make quick comparisons between a person’s skill levels and the job requirements.
WorkKeys assessments measure nine foundational workplace skills: Applied Mathematics, Applied Technology, Business Writing, Listening, Locating Information, Observation, Reading for Information, and Teamwork, and Writing. Furthermore, WorkKeys also measures three soft skills: Performance, Talent, and Fit.
RAMP—Regional Advanced Manufacturing Program
The RAMP program was created through a partnership between several local manufacturing employers, the City of Muncie, Ivy Tech Community College, the Muncie Area Career Center, Economic Development, Delaware County Commissioners, WorkOne, and The Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County, and United Way. The RAMP program was created to meet the needs of the local advanced manufacturing employers for entry level positions. The curriculum was approved by the participating employers.
The training is completed in 4 weeks that consist of 4 eight-hour days four times a week for a total of 128 training hours. The course covers the basics of: Safety, Blue Print Reading, CNC Concepts, Production Process – Lean and 5S, Quality Principles, Teamwork, Communication, Problem Solving, Career Pathways, and Plant Tours. Each RAMP training addresses quality, safety, production processes, and maintenance awareness, as well as “soft skills” (communication, teamwork, and problem solving).
HIRE
Conexus Indiana has launched the Hire Technology program; a comprehensive high school curriculum providing schools with a turn-key solution to prepare Hoosier students for high-tech careers. Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics sector – Indiana’s largest – is demanding skilled workers to compete in a global economy. The two-year curriculum features: nationally recognized industry credentials, dual credits, immersive online learning environment, project-based learning, local, unique industry content, and intensive educator training. Students who complete the curriculum will earn up to 15 college credits through the dual-credit program, in addition to five- industry-recognized certificates.