Student recruitment for INCAP to begin in early 2026
Eleven regional organizations have been selected to serve as liaisons for student and school participation in the Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway (INCAP), a new pathway to prepare Hoosiers for in-demand careers and help Indiana businesses find and train employees. These organizations will use funding to develop detailed plans for implementing INCAP in their assigned regions. Their role as an INCAP Connector will include recruiting high school students for INCAP apprenticeships, supporting student and school success, and interacting with Industry Talent Associations in six industries that have significant workforce needs: advanced manufacturing and logistics, banking, construction, healthcare, IT, and life sciences.
Once their plans are finalized and approved early next year, each organization will receive additional funding to implement their plans. In all, the organizations should receive $100,000 each, for a total of $1.2 million. Ascend Indiana awarded the funding as part of the organization’s $9.6 million grant from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation for INCAP implementation.
The organizations selected to serve as INCAP Connectors are:
- Region A Connector coming soon
- Region B Horizon Education Alliance
- Region C Region 8 Education Service Center
- Region D Region 4 Workforce Board
- Region E Western Indiana Workforce Development Board
- Region F Regional Opportunity Initiatives
- Region G Southern Indiana Education Center
- Region H Southern Indiana Works
- Region I Southeast Indiana Workforce Investment Board
- Region J Eastern Indiana Works
- Region K Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana
- Region L EmployIndy
“Local communities know their own needs best, which is why we opted to establish a regional structure for the organizations serving as INCAP Connectors,” said Claire Fiddian-Green, president & CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation and co-chair of CEMETS iLab Indiana, the coalition of Indiana leaders responsible for the creation of INCAP. “While the curriculum and training materials for INCAP apprenticeships will be consistent across the state, the implementation process may vary slightly depending on the needs of local communities.”
To select the INCAP Connectors, Ascend Indiana, the lead implementation partner for INCAP, issued an RFP and received interest from 35 organizations. Of the 35 organizations, 19 were selected to submit full proposals. From there, the iLab’s Governing Committee, which represents the iLab’s 300+ leaders from business, K-12 education, higher education, government, nonprofit, and philanthropy, selected 12 organizations to serve as INCAP Connectors. The organizations were selected due to their relevant experience and regional focus, as well as their demonstrated partnerships with K-12 schools, postsecondary institutions, and employers.
Student recruitment for INCAP apprenticeships that begin in fall 2026 will start early next year.
Participating students will split their time between the workplace and the classroom, with at least 50% of their time spent on the job to help ensure they are gaining in-demand skills and employers are realizing a return on investment. The students will be paid by their employers and work year-round.
David Becker, CEMETS iLab Indiana co-chair and chairman and CEO of First Internet Bank, said, “From a business standpoint, it’s encouraging to see the progress employers are making to identify priority occupations, thus informing program content. The Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway is becoming more tangible every day.”
Background
The Fairbanks Foundation is funding the creation and launch of INCAP, while CEMETS iLab Indiana – a coalition of more than 300 Hoosier leaders from various industries, K-12 schools, higher education, nonprofits, government, and philanthropic organizations – is leading the effort. Since 2016, the Fairbanks Foundation has awarded nearly $25 million in grants for youth apprenticeship pilot programs and the new education and training pathway now known as INCAP.
Modeled on a successful system that has prepared Swiss youth and adults for careers since the 1970s, INCAP will equip students and adults with the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century workplace and provide employers in key industries with the workers they need to compete on a global scale. iLab leaders have set an ambitious goal for the Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway: to provide education and training to 50,000 Hoosiers by 2034.
Read more about INCAP at indianacap.org/about/#connectors.
