GARRETT — The largest and fastest-growing segment of Indiana’s skills gap comes from middle-skill jobs, those that require at least a high school diploma but less than a four-year college degree, said a report released Monday by the Indiana Skills2Compete Coalition.
The findings were offered at a news conference by coalition co-chairs Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, and Jessica Fraser from the Indiana Institute for Working Families at Group Dekko’s Garrett plant, one of several northeast Indiana manufacturers with firsthand knowledge of the skills gap.
The report concludes the skills gap is an adult problem that will require adult solutions.
Fraser noted Indiana’s unemployment rate is stuck above 8 percent and more than 44 percent of Hoosier between the ages of 18 and 65 have no post-secondary education at all, meaning that more than 1.8 million Hoosier adults currently lack the skills attainment to be competitive in the workforce.
Middle-skill jobs account for more than 550,000 job openings in Indiana — half of all openings through 2020. That number has increased by almost 63,000 jobs over the number of mid-skill jobs projected from 2006-2016, according to the report. While 54 percent of all jobs in Indiana are classified as middle-skill, only 47 percent of the state’s workers have the skills and credentials for the job.
Although Indiana policymakers have emphasized the skills gap in recent workforce development and education efforts, the report shows the skills gap won’t be filled without adult solutions. The coalition selected four policy priorities for 2014 that focus on middle-skill attainment for Indiana’s adult workers:
• Increasing access to financial aid for part-time students, many of whom are currently working and are faced with the need to upgrade skills or want the opportunity to advancein their chosen fields.
• Continue differentiation of services for students in adult basic education, certain basic skills training, development educatio, and language acquisition that could be better pursued through adult basic education and community-based agencies.
• Maximize on-the-job training opportunities already available through federal funds by minimizing policy barriers that prevent more employers from using the program. The programs are designed to help reduce employers’ upfront hiring and training costs associated with the new staff and enable new hires to earn while they learn.
• Promote statewide establishment of Prior Learning Assessments for adults with significant work experience, awarding academic credit for meritorious portfolios, accepting transfer academic-credit awarded through rigorous review by other institutions, and encouraging viable candidates to undertake the assessment process.