Dive Brief:

• Kirk Johannesen assistant managing editor of The Republic writes that the Regional Workforce Talent Summit that took place recently in Indiana was designed to bring together leaders in the workforce, government, community, and education to educate the public about the current career and educational opportunities of this region. 240 people representing 30 leading companies attended. 
• The summit organizers, Community Education Coalition and the Economic Opportunities through Education EcO Network advised that by the year 2025 nearly 60% of the jobs in the region will require at least an associates degree, but only about 30% of the adult population had achieved this level. More work is needed to encourage young people to pursue their college degrees and reduce poverty, the biggest barrier to education in Indiana currently. 
• It's been forecast that around 4,000 to 4,500 jobs will require skilled labor between 2018 and 2019 in the southeastern areas of Indiana, many of which will be in the healthcare and manufacturing sectors. Multiple workforce readiness programs are already in the works to solve growing staffing shortages here.

Dive Insight:

Indiana represents an increasing number of states in the mid-central region of the USA that are badly in need of educated and experienced candidates. The combined efforts of schools, community agencies, and the government to work together to solve this problem is something other states can learn from.

Very often, there are gaps in between what the educational system is churning out and what area employers require to stay afloat. By employers and the state coming together and planning ahead for forecasted staffing needs, Indiana is proactively managing it's human capital requirements which protects the economy for generations. So too, companies that are focused on workforce training and offering free educational support will take the lead here.