Dive Brief:

• Skillful Indiana has launched the Skillful Governor's Coaching Corps, an initiative that will partner coaches from the workforce, high schools, post-secondary education and training institutions, non-profits and other groups. According to the press statement, the project aims to teach all parties "skills-based approaches to career coaching" as well as encourage participants to hone leadership skills and leverage new practices and technologies that will aid job seekers and, in turn, recruiters.
• The first group of participants will have access to career coaches who will guide them with new tools and resources. As they receive training in skills development and leadership coaching, the participants will gain access to peer and leadership networks within high-demand, high-paying industries, the release said. 
• The coaches are also expected to form teams and explore possible solutions to some of the challenges faced by the workforce in Indiana. These teams will present their recommendations to the Governor's Workforce Cabinet upon completing the program, the statement said. 

Dive Insight:

Skillful's Indiana branch launched in October of last year, and it's one of almost 20 arms nationwide. The program, funded primarily by the Markle Foundation, began in Colorado early last year. Designed to help recalibrate the workforce with skills for the new digital economy, the program also helps employers rethink job requirements to open opportunities to a wider range of talent.

Most training initiatives like these focus on upskilling workers who have been displaced by technology or who come from underserved populations. Demand for tech-savvy workers continues to increase despite the talent and skills shortages currently felt across all industries, particularly in tech disciplines.

Initiatives like Skillful's pair educators, company leaders and government officials to help businesses achieve their desired goals and workers prepare for the jobs of the future. While Skillful addresses the skills gap via career coaching, other programs, like DC-based Education Design Lab, see credentialing as another route to upskilling.