The Indiana Chamber and its Institute for Workforce Excellence (IWE) recently announced the initial companies to earn our new Workforce First Employer designation, a recognition of Indiana organizations that are setting a higher standard for talent development and delivering measurable, high-impact workforce practices.
The first group of honorees are Cimtech from New Albany, The Garrett Companies and George E. Booth Co., both of Greenwood, and Soulful Kitchen in South Bend.
“The Workforce First Employer designation is about acknowledging organizations that are truly raising the bar for Indiana’s workforce. These employers are not just filling jobs; they are investing in people and strengthening our state’s economic future,” says Todd Hurst, the Chamber’s senior vice president of strategic partnerships and impact. “The inaugural group reflects what is possible when employers lead with purpose and innovation, and we are proud to celebrate them.”
The Workforce First Employer program evaluates employers across six core pillars – each representing an essential component of a high-quality workforce strategy. Those areas are strategic workforce integration, work-based learning, education engagement, upskilling and reskilling, job and wage quality, and workforce partnerships and collaboration.
Launched to spotlight employers investing in their people, the Workforce First Employer initiative is seeking to help redefine what long-term talent development can look like across Indiana. Applications are accepted year round. Each month, a multidisciplinary Indiana Chamber committee reviews submissions and recognizes employers whose practices reflect an exceptional commitment to stronger, more sustainable workforce strategies.
Hurst notes that the program is designed to align with and complement other workforce, education and employer efforts. The Indiana Chamber is working closely with industry sector partnerships, local chambers of commerce, workforce boards and economic development partners. In fact, the Workforce First Employer designation was developed partially in response to a request from the Indiana Department of Education, which sought better alignment between education outcomes and employer engagement – especially around the implementation of new high school diploma seals that recognize students for work-based learning, earned credentials of value and career readiness.
Learn more on the Workforce First Employer designation and apply for future recognition cycles by accessing the website or contacting IWE at institute@indianachamber.com.
