On December 11, 2024, the Indiana State Board of Education unanimously approved new requirements for high school graduation. The new diploma will be effective for all students beginning with the class of 2029, or students who are currently in eighth grade.

There is significant work to be done to prepare both schools and employers for these new requirements. And Ascend Indiana will play a role in helping companies and schools navigate one of the requisites for graduation: work-based learning, which includes internships, youth apprenticeships and other work-and-learn experiences.

Regardless of a student’s path from high school – whether it is to post-secondary education, directly into employment or enlistment into the military – some form of work-based learning will be necessary. With nearly 500,000 students enrolled in 7^th through 12^th grade in Indiana public high schools today and tens of thousands of businesses in Indiana, there is an outsized need for employers to become co-creators of talent and provide high quality work-based learning experiences for Indiana students.

Employers should be aware of several unique levers in the new diploma requirements that could simplify how they engage students in work-based learning experiences, including:

• Skills Alignment: Students can choose between three main pathways and earn a graduation “seal” that prepares them for enrollment in a post-secondary institution, employment or enlistment. For the Employment Seal, students will learn specific skills and knowledge that will benefit them in the workplace, which enhances an employer’s time with a student in the work environment.
• Schedule Flexibility: The new diploma requirements provide more flexibility in a student’s schedule, opening time for students to experience internships and other work-based learning opportunities as well as job shadowing and other hands-on experiences outside the classroom.
• Course Selection: Students also will have more flexibility in course selection so employers can help students discover their passions, align those with appropriate courses and prepare them for success whether they pursue further education or enter the workforce after high school graduation.

Many employers have been providing work-based learning opportunities to students for years. For example, in 2024, we highlighted PRD, an advanced manufacturing company specializing in injection molding in Indiana’s Uplands region. They hosted Maddie Smith, a student from Bedford North Lawrence High School, as a youth apprentice. However, numerous employers have yet to embrace work-based learning, often approaching it with hesitation and uncertainty.

As I wrote in my year-end letter, Ascend Indiana is tackling work-based learning head on through its new strategic plan. We started our work by creating and fielding a survey that was sent earlier this month to employers around the state. The survey is still in circulation and can be filled out here. The results of this survey will help Ascend Indiana create a baseline understanding of the state’s work-based learning ecosystem. Specifically, we are asking employers to identify hurdles to offering work-based learning so that we can develop tools and programs for simplified adoption.

This year will be an important time to determine the role each one of us plays in work-based learning. High school redesign has opened many doors for employers to become co-creators of talent through work-based learning, supporting Indiana’s evolving economy.