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Lawmakers this week advanced legislation that would require the state to establish a plan to develop stackable credentials for high school students—aligning with a similar effort outside the Indiana Statehouse to expand the ecosystem of apprenticeship opportunities.
A coalition of more than 200 industry, state and education leaders announced plans last year to build out an apprenticeship framework. Their goal is to connect 50,000 Hoosier high schoolers by 2034 with work-learning experiences through multiple industry-focused pathways, starting with banking, health care, life sciences and advanced manufacturing.
Under Senate Bill 448, the Department of Education must prepare a plan to develop a market-driven credential program with at least three priority industry pathways, such as advanced manufacturing or health care, and necessary benchmark skills.
The department would also need to include recommendations for programming at higher education institutions. Several colleges, especially Ivy Tech Community College, have already begun developing short-term stackable credentials for emerging industries.
The report would need to be completed by Nov. 1.
The bill, authored by Sen. Greg Goode, R-Terre Haute, passed out of the Senate Education and Career Development Committee unanimously Wednesday. It heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee before more consideration.
The legislation is an agenda bill for Gov. Mike Braun, Secretary of Education Katie Jenner and Higher Education Commissioner Chris Lowery, who testified in support. The Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, Indiana Chamber of Commerce and Strada Education Foundation also testified in support.
The bill also received kudos from the group seeking to build a statewide apprenticeship program: the Center on the Economics and Management of Education and Training Systems Implementation Laboratory, or CEMETS iLab Indiana.
David Becker, co-chair and CEO of First Internet Bank, spoke about how apprenticeships provide students with experience and job offers and employers with qualified workers and reduced recruitment costs.
“This is a tremendous bill that really helps us kick-start that program and get it up and off the ground,” he said. “It bridges education and workforce, establishes a market-driven, stackable credential and qualifications framework that ensures students graduate with real skills aligned to industry demands.”
CEMETS iLab Indiana has most recently invested more than $1 million in grants to launch four industry talent organizations as part of the apprenticeship network.
The state has centered its education efforts in recent years on “reinventing high school,” meaning creating additional high school credit pathways besides college prep. This effort was capped off in December when state education officials approved an overhaul of diploma requirements.
The effort in part hinges on the state’s goal to funnel high school graduates into high-paying jobs in emerging industries that require workers to have secondary education but not necessarily a college degree. Through that effort, state officials said it would improve the state’s low average wage, fill open jobs and upskill the state’s workforce.
“Our great state is a leader in an array of incredible economic opportunities,” Goode said. “Senate Bill 448 works to increase alignment with state postsecondary education with these and so many other economic opportunities.”
Goode also supported an amendment to strike language that would require colleges and universities to hit an enrollment quota. It would have required at least 50% of an institution’s student body to be from the state.
The bill received pushback from a number of lawmakers and Purdue University when it was introduced to the committee on Jan. 22. Goode himself at the time floated the idea of cutting the language and said he didn’t like the idea of establishing an enrollment mandate and was weighing other options.
Instead, the amended bill is more focused on university reporting and transparency, Goode said Wednesday. It would require the Commission for Higher Education to prepare an enrollment report each year focusing on in-state enrollment, targeted degree tracks and dual enrollment.
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