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Celebrating Workforce Development Month and EmployIndy’s Advocacy Efforts

Every September, we celebrate Workforce Development Month to recognize, honor, and publicize the contributions of our nation’s workforce development professionals. Throughout the year, we’ve received countless messages, writeups, and articles about your work and the success of your organizations. We are proud to share these as a testament to the innovative and life-changing work being done by our nation’s workforce development boards.

EmployIndy has done exceptional advocacy work over the past year, from local to state to federal levels. They have been a forerunner in advocacy, using all available tools and leaning on NAWB whenever we can offer assistance. We are thrilled to have such passionate and consistent members advocating on behalf of the workforce system and are proud to have been a supportive partner in these efforts.

“NAWB’s advocacy resources have been especially useful as we’ve engaged with our representation. They’ve been invaluable in quickly finding up-to-date information on federal policies and legislation, identifying areas of impact for our local area, and prioritizing which talking points and narratives to share with our congressional delegation. It has definitely helped hone our messaging!”
— Kevin Duffy, Senior Director, External Affairs, EmployIndy

Here are some of the actions that EmployIndy has taken to advocate for their needs and the broader workforce system:

Local Level

EmployIndy conducted their first Lunch and Learn for Indianapolis City-County Council members in July, offering crucial localized labor market information, sharing updates on city-funded programs, and providing a tour of their comprehensive American Job Center (AJC). They plan to conduct more Lunch and Learns with city council members in the future.

State-Wide

EmployIndy began bipartisan outreach to their local state legislature delegation, hosting two site visits with State Representatives Julie McGuire (R) and Carey Hamilton (D). Both visits were scheduled during Wednesdays at WorkOne, a weekly hiring event that brings over 20 employers and hundreds of jobseekers to the AJC.

In partnership with the Indiana Workforce Board Alliance (INWBA), EmployIndy also participated in INWBA Day at the Statehouse during the legislative session this past spring. This event sparked conversations leading to state legislature site visits. Future endeavors include outreach to the State Senate and House Education Committees for a Lunch and Learn at their AJC.

Federal Level

EmployIndy continues to engage with their congressional delegation to advocate for workforce development priorities, including Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) reauthorization, Department of Labor (DOL) Apprenticeship rulemaking, and agency appropriations.

They also hosted two separate site visits for congressional staff:

• Jason Johnson from Senator Mike Braun’s office visited the AJC for a discussion and presentation on the workforce system. Other representatives from INWBA joined the meeting to share perspectives from across the state. This visit not only advocated for the workforce system at the federal level but also set the stage for potential future collaborations at the state level.
• Andrew Murray from Senator Todd Young’s office toured the AJC to learn about EmployIndy’s services, including highlights from federal investments like the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors Act and the American Rescue Plan. They also connected Andrew with one of their adult education partners, Warren Township Adult Education, for a concurrent visit and discussion on the role of adult education in workforce development.

Interested in hosting your own site visit? Download Hosting a Congressional Site Visit for tips.