Region 4 Workforce Board will serve as a liaison for student and school participation in the Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway (INCAP), a new pathway to prepare Hoosiers for in-demand careers and help Indiana businesses find and train employees.
As an INCAP Connector, Region 4's role will be to recruit high school students for INCAP apprenticeships, supporting student and school success, and interacting with Industry Talent Associations in six industries that have significant workforce needs: advanced manufacturing and logistics, banking, construction, healthcare, IT, and life sciences.
Student recruitment for INCAP apprenticeships that begin in fall 2026 will start early next year. Participating students will split their time between the workplace and the classroom, with at least 50% of their time spent 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. David Becker, CEMETS iLab Indiana co-chair and chairman and CEO of First Internet Bank, said, “From a business standpoint, it’s encouraging to see the progress employers are making to identify priority occupations, thus informing program content. The Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway is becoming more tangible every day.”
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. 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 Hoosiers by 2034.
