MARION, Ind. (May 3, 2023) – Marion-based Carey Services has partnered with Conexus Indiana to provide job-training services to people with disabilities. Supported by a gift from the Don Wood Foundation, the partnership will bring to Marion and the surrounding communities the Catapult Indiana program, which prepares Hoosiers for careers in advanced manufacturing.
A provider of programs for people with disabilities for nearly 70 years, Carey Services plans to begin offering Conexus Indiana’s Catapult Indiana programming this summer. The new offerings will enhance Carey Services’ existing community-based supported living, job-readiness training and other skill-building programs, while providing a specialized training resource to Grant County and surrounding communities to increase the potential for those pursuing career opportunities in advanced manufacturing.
“This partnership is an awesome opportunity for people with disabilities in and around Grant County to learn advanced manufacturing skills that will prepare them for success in the community,” said Jim Allbaugh, president and CEO at Carey Services. “The team at Carey Services is proud to be on the cutting edge of being able to offer this unique job-training program in Indiana, especially knowing there is an opportunity to modify the programming in such a way that what we co-create with Catapult Indiana can be provided to other communities in Indiana.”
Financial support to bring Catapult Indiana to Marion was fueled by a $64,000 donation from the Don Wood Foundation, which was matched 1:1 for a total of $128,000.
“We are very proud to invest in the partnership between Carey Services and Conexus Indiana to bring the Catapult training program to Grant County,” said Laura Macknick, president and CEO at the Don Wood Foundation. “This skills-based training experience will be able to help those people previously unserved have an opportunity to learn the skills necessary to have a rewarding career in manufacturing while at the same time helping organizations find quality employees.”
A free 160-hour training program, Catapult gives unemployed and underemployed adults and high school students the skills they need to begin careers in advanced manufacturing. The partnership in Marion addresses two pressing needs in Indiana: high unemployment among people with disabilities and workforce shortages in the state’s advanced manufacturing industry.
Carey Services estimates that 80% of individuals with disabilities are unemployed. Meanwhile, Indiana’s advanced manufacturing industry faces workforce shortages, with up to 58,000 positions unfilled statewide and thousands more expected as workers retire. Catapult Indiana brings to Carey Services a record of success: Across Indiana, roughly seven out of 10 people who enroll in the program graduate, and nine out of 10 of those graduates receive at least one job offer, with many receiving three or four offers.
Carey Services is in the process of a massive, $2 million remodel of a building on its Carey Street campus that will house Catapult Indiana and other cutting-edge training and career development services including eMPower Academy and My Path @ Carey Services. Construction is expected to be completed in June, with classes starting by mid-July.
Carey Services and Conexus Indiana expect their partnership in Marion to be a model for collaborations in other Indiana communities.
“Collaborative partnerships with organizations like Carey Services, who have an established and trusted relationship with their community, are important to the delivery of the Catapult Indiana curriculum,” said Bob McQuern, director of adult education at Conexus Indiana. “We’re eager to prepare the Carey Services community for fulfilling careers in advanced manufacturing and to see how this partnership can be replicated across the state.”
About Carey Services
Carey Services is an internationally accredited premier local provider of home and community-based services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and children and families in early childhood education. Supports and services are determined through community partnerships, collaboration, and person-centered planning, where individuals and their families direct the planning and allocation of resources to meet their individual life goals towards their best lives. Call (765) 668-8961 or visit www.careyservices.com for more information to job and skill training services, employment opportunities (extension 179), or to donate. Individuals can also visit the Carey Services Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Careyservices.
About Conexus Indiana
For more than a decade, Conexus Indiana, one of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) non-profit initiatives, has been positioning the Hoosier State as the best place for advanced manufacturing and logistics industries to innovate, invest, employ and succeed. By collaborating with industry, academic and public sector partners on a shared vision for an innovative, skilled workforce and stronger business climate, Conexus Indiana has helped to create opportunities for advanced manufacturing and logistics companies, prepare Hoosiers to succeed in the state’s largest industry sectors and maintain Indiana’s competitive advantage. For more information, visit conexusindiana.com.
About the Don Wood Foundation
The Don Wood Foundation is a private foundation established in 2018 by Don Wood, founder of 80/20, Inc., that serves and supports innovators, leaders, collaborators, and skilled workers with the potential to create and sustain opportunities in manufacturing. The Foundation partners with non-profits and educational institutions to provide sustained investment that supports the development of a diverse workforce through exposure, education, and training to create strong communities rooted in the advancement of manufacturing. Follow Don Wood Foundation on Facebook and LinkedIn.
