25 Emerging Leaders have already graduated from program, which is currently seeking participants for first cohort of 2024
INDIANAPOLIS — TechPoint, the industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s digital innovation economy, today announced the Shafer Leadership Academy and Evolve HR Group as new operational partners for its lauded Leadership Academy tech talent development program.
“We are so pleased to level up our program with the help of these industry leaders,” said TechPoint Senior Vice President, Talent, Strategy, and Partnerships Dennis Trinkle. “Each have deep reach into top level leaders and great expertise that we can bring to bear for our Academy participants.”
TechPoint’s Leadership Academy was created to help Indiana companies overcome the global issue of tech talent shortages by helping them develop talent from within. To-date, 25 people have bolstered their leadership and managerial skills through the program.
The Academy’s first 2024 cohort group will be for new managers, who are considered Emerging Leaders. Applications are open now, and gatherings begin April 11. Go here to enroll or register for a March 13 webinar to learn more about the program. Deadline to apply is March 29. Graduates will earn digital credentials showcasing they have earned leadership skills.
“Moving from being part of a team to running a team is a huge leap, and too few companies have the bandwidth to support their new managers after promotion,” Trinkle said. “We’re very pleased at the demand we see for these emerging leaders, as well as for executive leadership training, which we’ll launch in the second quarter. It’s a testament to how much value the business community is placing on the need to develop leaders of the future.”
Academy participants gather weekly for 10 sessions that include panel discussions, project work, networking and learnings from experts in various management areas.
Companies pay the costs of the broad-based training, which includes helping new mangers differentiate between management and leadership, build knowledge and confidence in management abilities, learn to cast vision and gain buy-in from internal and external stakeholders, how to effectively hire and mange remote workers, budgets and headcount. They also delve into topics like health and wellness, self-advocacy, building inclusive teams, emotional intelligence and leading with empathy.
Shafer Leadership Academy will take over daily operations of the program and will enhance TechPoint’s efforts to bring in exceptional speakers. Evolve will provide coaching and mentoring.
“We’re happy to build on the solid foundation that TechPoint laid with the Academy,” said Shafer Leadership Academy Executive Director Mitch Isaacs. “This is a tremendous opportunity that essentially outsources a huge corporate responsibility that many find difficult to effectively carry out on their own, so we see it as a great public service and an effective way to cultivate and keep great talent.”
Jill Lehman, EVOLVE Founder, said she was pleased to join the Leadership Academy team.
“Indiana has a huge population of great leaders who are willing to give their time and insights to help others grow in their careers,” she said. “Bringing them into this terrific program will be really beneficial to the participants, and we can’t wait to get started.”
For companies interested in grooming executive leaders, the Leadership Academy will offer that training in May.
The Leadership Academy is one example of how TechPoint is addressing tech talent shortages as part of its Mission 41K effort. A January 2023 workforce report showed traditional talent pipelines cannot provide enough talent to outpace Indiana’s declining working-age workforce. Expansion of Indiana’s talent pipeline calls for additional pathways of talent development into the workforce and for more inclusivity.
Tech and tech-driven companies contribute $51 billion in Indiana Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and digital adoption, and transformation is making tech increasingly core to Indiana GDP growth. For every 10,000 tech or tech-related jobs added to the workforce, Indiana gains an average of $698 million in wages and $103 million in state and local taxes. Tech industry jobs pay more than double the state’s median wage, provide stable employment and strong career growth opportunity.
About Shafer Leadership Academy: Based in Muncie, Shafer Leadership Academy provides inclusive leadership development so that people, organizations and communities reach their full potential. Learn more: https://www.shaferleadership.com/
About Evolve: Based in Fishers, Evolve works to unlock the next generation of Human Resources necessary to build, scale, and sustain a positive and productive future of work by providing coaches, solution architects and/or supplemental resources based on client needs and priorities. Learn more: https://evolvehrgroup.com/
About TechPoint: TechPoint, is the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership’s industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s digital innovation economy and overall tech ecosystem. The team is focused on working with public, private and industry partners to expand tech talent pipeline, enhance resource connectivity for enterprise organizations and startups alike, and elevate the industry by activating the community and amplifying stories of success. For more information, please visit www.techpoint.org.
