Promoting Access to Education for Manufacturing Workers

Indiana Northeast Development, the Northeast Indiana Workforce Investment Board and the City of Fort Wayne have been selected by CAEL, a national non-profit specializing in workforce learning, to partner in a regional pilot demonstration of Lifelong Learning Accounts (LiLAs). “LiLAs are an affordable and practical way for employers to offer tuition benefits to employees through the use of matching funds from an employee, an employer and a third party, such as foundations or public sources,” said Lincoln Schrock of Indiana Northeast Development. “LiLAs are designed to reduce turn-over and increase productivity. LiLAs make good business sense.”

“The impressive leadership shown by several local champions and the region’s strong commitment to workforce development is what drew us to Northeast Indiana,” reported Pamela Tate, CAEL President & CEO. LiLAs are a new, innovative way to remove financial barriers to education for employees. LiLAs may be used for career related education and training activities selected by an employee based on an individual learning plan. The goal is for LiLAs to become a standard part of compensation packages across the country.

“We are very pleased to support this project, both by providing funding and as a participating employer in the government sector,” said Mayor Graham Richard of Fort Wayne. “The Northeast Indiana pilot is a critical step in developing national policy to promote LiLAs though federal and state tax incentives. This is a big deal for our community.” The Northeast Indiana demonstration is part of a national demonstration. The first site was recently launched by CAEL in Chicago and another is planned for San Francisco.

“Closing the skills gap in the workforce is a top priority for local manufacturers,” said Patty Weddle of the Northeast Indiana Workforce Board. Therefore, the partners in the project have identified manufacturers, in addition to public employers such as the City of Fort Wayne, as a target sector.

Local manufacturers have been invited to informational breakfast meetings scheduled for July 29 at the Kendallville Convention Center and July 30 at the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce. The one-hour meeting will provide a thorough introduction to LiLAs and solicit feedback from local employers.

The LiLA demonstration is being made possible in part through the support of the Ford Foundation, the City of Fort Wayne, the Cole Foundation, Indiana Northeast Development, the Lincoln Financial Group Foundation, the Noble County Community Foundation, Inc., and the Northeast Indiana Workforce Investment Board.