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Indiana’s future growth and prosperity is dependent on an educated workforce. But there are simply not enough qualified workers to fill the thousands of job openings across the state. And the high wage jobs of the future will require Hoosiers to obtain more and different types of specialized education.
The educational attainment trends do not bode well for Hoosiers and the state’s economy. Over the past decade, the percentage of Indiana high school graduates enrolling in postsecondary education has dropped from 63% to 53%. And only 65% of Hoosiers who do attend college in Indiana stay here.
On a positive note, Indiana ranks ninth in the country for the number of students coming from outside Indiana to attend an Indiana school. But we retain only 15% of these non-residents post-graduation, which ranks 42nd in the nation.
Recognizing the need to find alternative education models that could be adapted to Indiana’s needs, Indiana legislative and philanthropic leaders began studying the Swiss apprenticeship educational model nearly a decade ago. State Rep. Bob Behning, state Sen. Jeffrey Raatz, Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation CEO Claire Fiddian-Green and Ascend Indiana CEO Jason Kloth have dedicated time and resources to understand how Switzerland, a country with a population only slightly larger than Indiana’s, could have a worker participation rate of 86% compared with Indiana’s 64%.
Their work led to last week’s Indy Chamber Leadership Exchange trip to Switzerland, which I attended with more than 100 business, philanthropic and state leaders (including Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner, Higher Education Commissioner Chris Lowery, House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate President Pro Tem Rod Bray) to get an in-depth look at why the apprenticeship model is widely credited with propelling the Swiss economy to one of the top performing in the world.
We learned that nearly 70% of Swiss high school students are enrolled in a paid apprenticeship program starting at age 15 or 16. This experience develops important skills, such as time management, teamwork, problem solving, accountability and reliability. Earlier work experiences help students make better career track decisions, decreasing the possibility that they will study a subject in college that does not match their interests or that will not result in a job.
Swiss companies are highly invested in the apprenticeship model—more than 70,000 Swiss firms have opted in, including banks, health care providers and pharmaceutical companies. Many students upon high school graduation begin working immediately in the field of their apprenticeship. Others opt for college. The result is that the Swiss apprenticeship model provides Swiss industries with a talent pipeline that is highly skilled, specialized and motivated.
Indiana’s Legislature took an initial step toward the apprenticeship model this year, passing legislation that created career scholarship accounts for students wishing to pursue an apprenticeship. The state provides up to $5,000 per student to support work-based learning experiences, including transportation costs incurred in connection with an apprenticeship.
Indiana must increase the number of working adults and improve our workforce readiness. That means better matching our education programs with the current and future needs of businesses. Implementing a statewide apprenticeship program holds great promise. Education leaders, business leaders and elected officials must work together to implement an apprenticeship program that works for Hoosiers.•
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Feltman is publisher of IBJ and CEO of IBJ Media. Send comments to nfeltman@ibj.com.
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