While the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) is headquartered in Indianapolis, there is an entire army of workforce specialists stationed throughout the state aiming to make sure employers have the skilled manpower they require to continue to thrive and help Hoosier workers attain the education and training needed to fill jobs in their regions.
The 12 workforce regional offices cover every corner of the state – and then some.
They offer many of the same services as DWD’s centralized headquarters but are tailored to meet demands unique to each region.
“Indiana’s workforce development regions are great collaborative partners with the state to provide valuable resources and support on a regional level,” states Katie Rounds, DWD chief workforce officer. “Regional leaders and staff are available to help employers solve their workforce needs through training and skills development and can also connect employers to state and federal funding streams that can cover some or all of the expense to skill up workers.”
Federal dollars from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act provide the backbone funding for the 12 regional offices in Indiana, which each having a staff ranging from 30 to 55 individuals. The regional offices also tap into state, federal and private grants to help sustain their work and infrastructure.
Many are co-located with other training and social services organizations to reduce overhead and facilitate collaboration. The state reimburses the regional offices for co-located staff.
Read the full story in the November edition of BizVoice magazine.
