Indiana Chamber President and CEO Vanessa Green Sinders says the 2024 Indiana General Assembly session, which adjourned Friday night, was successful in advancing key Indiana Chamber priorities – namely those in the workforce development area. “We’re pleased to see the Legislature pass notable bills that help expand childcare options for parents, improve literacy rates of Hoosier students and cultivate [...]
SB 1 / Chamber Supports Senate Bill 1, a Chamber policy priority aimed at boosting declining reading and literacy rates, passed out of the House Education Committee this week with a 9-4 party line vote. With nearly one in five Indiana students struggling to read by the end of third grade and roughly the same ratio of working-age Hoosiers [...]
(INDIANAPOLIS) — A new Ball State University study reveals substantial differences in academic performance and opportunity for students enrolled in the state’s very smallest school districts versus districts with even modestly higher enrollment. Small school districts – those with under 2,000 total students – also are getting smaller, exacerbating the challenges facing their students. School Corporation Size and Student [...]
DWD has a host of educational and training programs, job search assistance, and grants available for Hoosiers who want to enhance their skills and improve their job prospects. Meet success stories like massage therapist Blake Broeker, health care worker Echo Ragsdale-Nunley, respiratory therapist Craig Johnson and home inspector Jason Carter. In fact, you can read about many success stories [...]
(INDIANAPOLIS) — The Indiana Chamber of Commerce and Indiana Department of Education today announced the launch of the state’s inaugural 2024 Civics Bee aimed at encouraging more young Hoosiers in grades six through eight to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. The first-of-its-kind statewide civics competition will be held in August at the Indiana Statehouse. The event [...]
On List: Enhancing Childcare and Career Readiness (INDIANAPOLIS) — The Indiana Chamber of Commerce unveiled its upcoming priorities at the 2024 Indiana Legislative Preview today. A panel discussion featuring General Assembly caucus leaders from both parties headlined the event. “Enhancing our talent pipeline remains a critical focus,” says Indiana Chamber President and CEO-elect Vanessa Green Sinders. "We look forward to [...]
(INDIANAPOLIS) — While Indiana has built one of the most competitive business climates in the country the last few decades, the state must be courageous enough to identify its shortcomings and bold enough to tackle them. That’s the mindset behind the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s comprehensive new playbook for the state. Indiana Prosperity 2035 – A Vision for Economic [...]
With strong support from the Chamber, House Bill 1635 places guardrails on the use of high school graduation waivers, a practice that grants diplomas to students who have fallen short of state diploma requirements. It’s long been the Chamber’s contention that graduation waivers should be limited and rare. Unfortunately, the data show that waivers have become pervasive in some [...]
Bills backed by the Chamber that put more low-income and first-generation college students on the path to earning postsecondary credentials tied to workforce needs gained major traction this session. At the top of that list is the passage of House Bill 1449, which ensures that eligible low-income students will now be automatically enrolled in the state’s 21st Century Scholars [...]
In recent years, Indiana employers have increasingly cited access and affordability issues related to childcare, housing and transportation as being among their top workforce barriers – and for good reason. Parents lacking quality childcare options are more likely to be underemployed or absent from the labor force altogether. Likewise, children without the benefit of a strong early learning foundation [...]
