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A report released Tuesday by TechPoint, an industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s technology ecosystem, reveals demand for tech-trained workers is at an all-time high, but that the talent supply is not keeping up.
The organization says traditional talent pipelines cannot provide enough talent and calls for additional pathways for worker development.
“Our intention with this report is to objectively showcase the situation—and to make clear the comprehensive reach of it,” said TechPoint President and CEO Ting Gootee.
The report says in the constantly evolving age of digital innovation, Indiana must boost development of tech workers if it wants to continue to grow its reputation as a tech innovator.
The workforce report calls on Indiana tech sector leaders, employers and community stakeholders to work together to overcome problematic issues.
“The challenges we outline are not unique to Indiana, but what is unique is our history of collaborating to overcome huge issues,” Gootee said. “Working together, we can overcome these seismic shifts by investing in bold new talent pathways and alignment programs; pursing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; and collaborating more within the tech community.”
TechPoint says digital transformation and automation are impacting all sectors of the Indiana economy, including the state’s key industries of advanced manufacturing, agriculture and life sciences.
An on-going challenge for Indiana’s tech ecosystem is “brain drain.” TechPoint says the state’s strong university base attracts and trains students, but stakeholders must increase efforts to retain those newly trained workers.
“We have to double down on attracting the thousands of students who come to our stellar colleges and universities to learn, even as we focus on nontraditional channels to develop and retain those who have skills and abilities acquired through certification and experience,” said Dennis Trinkle, TechPoint’s senior vice president of talent, strategy and partnerships. “There are great jobs waiting now and in the future. It’s a matter of helping Hoosiers ready to succeed in them.”
One possible solution to the worker shortage stems from the global pandemic. TechPoint says a shift to remote work during the pandemic helped to grow Indiana’s resident tech workforce by 8.4% from May 2021 to April 2022.
The organization says nearly 1,500 Hoosier tech workers in 2021 were working for companies headquartered outside the state, a number that is expected to grow.
Click here to access the new report: “Seismic Shifts in the Talent Landscape: 2023 TechPoint Indiana Tech Workforce Report.”
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The organization says nearly 1,500 Hoosier tech workers in 2021 were working for companies headquartered outside the state, a number that is expected to grow.
There is no way this is even close to accurate… I would guess it is 10-20x that.
Why don’t these companies go after all the tech workers that were recently laid off in other states? They are already qualified workers, and I’m sure they would find the cost of living here in IN to be much better than on the west coast where most were previously.
backwards legislature makes it so much harder to attract people from out of state compared to convincing people to stay
Robert H is absolutely right. Educated college grads don’t want to live in the christofascist state IN is rapidly becoming. Under His Eye.
That’s because Indianapolis Tech Employers don’t compete with the coasts or other major metros on salary. With remote work a thing, why would a tech worker work for less for an in-state employer?
Hard to believe. My grandson got a bachelor degree in computer science and has been unable to find a job in that field. He says every company he contacted wanted experienced employees. How is a young person supposed to get experience?
If a job opportunity is posted for a Junior Developer, employers could expect about 1,000 applications. There is no shortage of junior developers. However, most companies do not have apprenticeships or mentorship programs to cultivate new talent. Rather than have no plan to do so.
Instead, hiring managers hope to find an experienced developer/engineer (usually already employed somewhere else). The hiring challenge for Indy remains to solve this puzzle:
Why would an experienced software developer settle for less salary in the Indianapolis Metro market versus another employer, for example in Chicago, when remote work is an option?