Funds for Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway support regional implementation, Industry Talent Associations, and employer and student engagement

The Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation has awarded nearly $13 million in funding to eight Indiana organizations working to develop a new pathway for high school and adult students to learn about and train for in-demand careers and help Indiana businesses find and train employees.

The first cohort of high school students will begin apprenticeship programs in the new Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway (INCAP) in the fall of 2026. They will split their time between the workplace and the classroom, with at least 50% of their training taking place 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. Programs for adults will be available in later years.

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.

The new funding will facilitate the development of new statewide employer groups, known as Industry Talent Associations, or ITAs; support existing ITAs; help build an infrastructure that uses regionally located intermediaries as liaisons between employers, ITAs, schools, and students; and drive employer and student engagement.

Eight Indiana organizations have received grant funding to implement INCAP:

“Developing a new model for Hoosier students and a stronger talent pipeline for Indiana employers is a huge undertaking; that is why we’re bringing in more organizations with specific expertise and built-in stakeholders to make it work,” said David Becker, CEMETS iLab Indiana co-chair and chairman and CEO of First Internet Bank.

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 Hoosier students by 2034.

“INCAP serves as a vehicle for employers and educators to collaborate in a process that serves both students and industry,” said Claire Fiddian-Green, president & CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation and co-chair of CEMETS iLab Indiana. “It promises to revolutionize the way Indiana equips people for careers and, as a result, prepare Indiana for long-term economic growth.”

$9.6 million for Ascend Indiana to implement INCAP priorities

Ascend Indiana, an initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), will use funding awarded to the CICP Foundation to deliver support to INCAP’s Industry Talent Associations, launch the regional infrastructure for INCAP implementation, continue managing the operations of CEMETS iLab Indiana, and implement marketing and communications efforts to increase INCAP awareness and engagement.

As part of the five-year grant, Ascend Indiana also will regrant $1.2 million to regionally based “intermediaries” that will serve as bridges between ITAs and participating schools and students, helping schools recruit students for INCAP, supporting student success, and providing other assistance. Ascend Indiana is managing a Request for Proposals process to identify intermediaries, and Letters of Intent from interested organizations are due Friday, July 25.

$1.2 million to launch two new Industry Talent Associations and support four existing ITAs

Each industry’s ITA unites employers to identify talent needs, choose occupations for INCAP programs, define required knowledge and skills, and collaborate with educators to develop education and training materials. The organizations selected to run ITAs were chosen by CEMETS iLab Indiana due to their industry expertise, employer relationships, and existing approach to education and training.

$540,000 in grants have been awarded to launch two new ITAs:

• Construction – The Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation received a two-year, $380,000 grant to launch the Construction Industry Talent
• IT – The Indiana Chamber Foundation received a one-year, $160,000 grant to serve as an incubator for an IT Industry Talent Association and prepare the ITA to operate as a separate entity by

The remaining $620,000 in grants have been awarded to the organizations supporting the existing four ITAs, which launched in 2024 with the help of $900,000 in funding from the Fairbanks Foundation:

• Advanced Manufacturing & Logistics – Conexus Indiana (via the CICP Foundation)
• Banking – Indiana Bankers Association (via the IBA Foundation)
• Healthcare – BioCrossroads (via the CICP Foundation)
• Life Sciences – BioCrossroads (via the CICP Foundation)

$1.7 million for the Indy Chamber to engage students and employers

With this three-year grant to the Indy Chamber Foundation, the Indy Chamber will boost awareness of career opportunities in Indiana and promote INCAP as an option for Central Indiana students to prepare for in-demand careers and for employers to strengthen their talent pipelines. This work will include the development of a playbook to help other regions in Indiana implement similar efforts.

$430,000 to EmployIndy for current Modern Apprenticeship Program cohorts

This one-year grant will help fund the three cohorts operating under the current Modern Apprenticeship Program and help facilitate the transition to INCAP.

Read more about INCAP and CEMETS iLab Indiana at iLabIndiana.org.