In This Issue..

• Strategic Skills Initiative
• Veterans grant
• Career Majors grants
• New Payment Options
• Hoosier Hot 50 Jobs

About this Newsletter

Welcome to the latest issue of Workforce Developments, a monthly e-mail newsletter from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

This newsletter is designed to keep Indiana policy and opinion makers and other officials up to date on activities taking place in workforce development across the state. Please forward it to others you believe might find the content useful. If you prefer not to receive this newsletter, unsubscribe information is available at the bottom of this mailing.

Strategic Skills Initiative grants target shortage occupations

The Department of Workforce Development last month announced ten grants totaling $13.2 million under the Strategic Skills Initiative program. An eleventh grant will be awarded in August.

The ten grants announced in June will be used to fund a total of 46 regionally-grown training initiatives aimed at eliminating shortage occupations and skills projected in the short term throughout the state. Under the grants announced last month, 6,000 workers will receive training, with 3350 earning either a nationally recognized credential or degree, and 2100 projected to be placed in shortage occupations. Additional investments targeted include educational and training capacity, career awareness, and employer recruitment and retention practices.

Key sectors targeted under the program include advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, health care, agribusiness, and entrepreneurship. Regions which meet their program objectives are eligible to receive an additional 10 percent of the grant received for the specific solution. The incentive pool will be approximately $1.4 million statewide.

Research conducted by the regions in the early phase of the grant program found three main root causes for the projected occupational and skills shortages: lack of education and training capacity, a need for better and more career awareness, and employer recruitment and retention practices.

Veterans grant to target vets in central, north central, north east Indiana.

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development has been awarded a grant of $750,000 from the U.S. Department of Labor to provide an array of career and job services to veterans residing in a 25-county area of the state.

Under the grant, the state will provide outreach, intake, pre-enrollment assessment, job placement service, job training, counseling, mentoring, supportive services and other assistance to Hoosier veterans. The grant supplements services already available to Hoosier veterans from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Department of Workforce Development.

"The goal of this program is to serve 375 veterans and ultimately place 244 into meaningful employment," said Ron Stiver, commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development. "Our veterans have served the country well, and they deserve all the help we can provide to help place them into the workforce with good jobs."

Indiana is one of twelve states receiving a Veterans Workforce Investment Program grant. The federal program provides funding to meet the training and employment needs of veterans with service-connected disabilities, veterans who have significant barriers to employment, veterans who served on active duty during a war or in a campaign, and recently separated veterans. The two-year grant provides funds for the first year, with second year funding available if the state meets performance standards and funds are available.

Career Majors grants announced

One hundred ten Indiana high schools and post-secondary institutions have been awarded a total of $3,028,025 in Career Majors grants to increase student motivation by better connecting curriculum with post-secondary opportunities.

The initiative will improve academic achievement and better prepare Hoosier students for post-secondary options. Funding will allow the institutions to prepare a curriculum on the leading edge of academic and technical standards. Overall, the program will create an easier, more effective transition between high school and post-secondary options for students. The grants to the schools focus on building science, technology, engineering, mathematics and entrepreneurship skills.

Career Majors is an initiative made possible by the Carl D. Perkins Technical and Vocational Act of 1998, which aims to develop more fully the academic, vocational, and technical skills of secondary and postsecondary students.

New Payment Options for Employers Paying Unemployment Insurance Taxes

The department continues to make efforts to upgrade the state's unemployment insurance system. While a massive overhaul and technological upgrade to Indiana's Unemployment Insurance system is proceeding, the Department is taking other steps to modernize the system and make it more convenient and accessible for employer and claimants alike.

One recent action saw a new payment option for employers to pay their Unemployment Insurance taxes. Indiana businesses can for the first time make their quarterly unemployment insurance tax payments with a credit card or e-check online, or by telephone. Companies now have the flexibility to pay taxes securely over the telephone or through the internet 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can make their payments using a Visa, American Express, Discover, , MasterCard or e-check. Employers wishing to pay their unemployment insurance obligations electronically should 1-800-2PAY-TAX and use jurisdiction code 2435. To make a payment through a credit card, employers can click here.

Hoosier Hot 50 Jobs Listing Published

The Department of Workforce Development has published a new listing of the 50 jobs most in demand for the state of the Indiana to focus attention on the most promising and lucrative career paths.

The hottest jobs include registered nurses, K-12 Teachers, and computer systems analysts. These jobs project the most growth from 2002 through 2012.

According to the Department, the top 10 hot jobs are:

1	Registered Nurses
2	Teachers, Elementary and Kindergarten, including Special Education
3	Teachers, Secondary, including Special Education
4	Computer Systems Analysts
5	Dental Hygienists
6	Medical and Health Services Managers
7	Computer and Information Systems Managers
8	Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers
9	Pharmacists
10	Lawyers

The listing names the top jobs, their projected growth, both in terms of numbers and percentage, the average wage, education requirements and the top 3 skills required to be successful for each job. The Hoosier Hot 50 Jobs can be accessed here.

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