President and CEO Letter

The Power of Predictive Analytics and Partnerships

According to LightCast, Indiana had nearly 750,000 unique job postings in 2024, with almost 25% falling in the advanced industries’ economy. These industries, defined by continuous innovation, high productivity and strong global trade involvement, are essential to national security, economic resilience and job creation in Indiana.

To meet the evolving talent demands of these industries, Ascend Indiana is leveraging predictive analytics and strategic partnerships with post-secondary institutions to better align the supply and demand of skilled workers. As the class of 2025 approaches post-secondary graduation, Ascend is proactively identifying the number of graduates by major who are uniquely positioned to fill these in-demand roles within Indiana’s advanced industries.

At the same time, we have worked with thousands of Indiana employers over the past 7-plus years and have collected detailed data and insights that paint a clear picture of the talent in demand, the skills needed and the challenges employers face recruiting and retaining talent.

Through close collaboration with higher education institutions and Indiana employers and analysis of the data we have amassed over time, we have a unique data asset that, once analyzed, will drive Ascend’s strategies and inform a targeted marketing strategy aimed at retaining top talent within the state. This effort directly supports the Indiana Commission for Higher Education’s strategy to reverse brain drain and create a “brain gain”—ensuring that Indiana’s brightest graduates contribute to the state’s economic future.

By working with stakeholders across public, private and nonprofit sectors, Ascend continues to strengthen the alignment between industry needs and educational pathways, fostering a robust talent pipeline that supports Indiana’s long-term growth and competitiveness. As the workforce initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), Ascend also has a unique opportunity to align its data strategy with CICP’s branded initiatives, AgriNovus Indiana (agbiosciences), BioCrossroads (life sciences), Conexus Indiana (advanced manufacturing and logistics) and TechPoint (digital innovation), each of which is focused on creating opportunities for Hoosiers to thrive in Indiana’s advanced industry sectors.

I am excited to announce that, beginning next month, our newsletter will feature key data insights that will provide a new level of understanding in support of Ascend’s work as well as the work of the entire Indiana workforce ecosystem.