The Indiana Manufacturers Association (IMA) and Conexus Indiana announced they will collaborate on talent development initiatives that will train current and emerging workers across Indiana for careers in advanced manufacturing.
IMA’s Indiana Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (INFAME) program and Conexus Indiana’s Catapult Indiana program both offer tangible skills and career development opportunities to Hoosiers looking to enter the manufacturing industry. This partnership will coordinate efforts to expand the programs and offer them to communities across the state.
INFAME is a partnership of regional manufacturers whose purpose is to implement dual-track, apprenticeship-style training to create a pipeline of highly skilled workers through the Advanced Manufacturing Technician program. Catapult Indiana is an industry-led training program that equips unemployed and underemployed Hoosiers with skills to join the in-demand advanced manufacturing field.
“INFAME is a global-best college training program for high school graduates and incumbent workers, while Catapult Indiana provides unemployed and underemployed Hoosiers easier access to jobs in manufacturing,” said Andrew Berger, executive director of INFAME and senior vice president of Governmental Affairs for the IMA. “The IMA is confident that by joining forces with Conexus Indiana these two programs can both be even more effective.”
“By coordinating outreach and joining forces on workforce development for Indiana’s critically important and dominant manufacturing industry, we are excited to partner with IMA to bring Catapult Indiana and INFAME to more Hoosiers,” said Brad Rhorer, chief talent programs officer for Conexus Indiana.
INFAME has three current chapters: Southern Indiana INFAME, Northeast Indiana INFAME, Central Indiana INFAME, and a soon to be added chapter in Anderson. INFAME will continue to expand in 2020, and is part of the FAME USA network, with chapters across the Midwest and South.
The Catapult Indiana program is available in Lafayette and Anderson, Ind. It is also being offered by the Indiana Department of Corrections at the Branchville location. The program plans to expand to additional locations in 2020.
