Website Provides Better Matches For Job Seekers
A new online tool is taking a detailed and local approach to helping thousands of Hoosier job seekers and students identify what occupations are in demand in their area.
IndianaSkills.com, from Ready Indiana and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, is a searchable database of real time job statistics for every region of the state. The site is free and available to the public.
The database includes information for occupations in Indiana requiring at least a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree based on what is requested or required in employer job ads.
“Job seekers can find career opportunities that best match their skills and interests – and are in high demand; many with competitive wages,” says Ready Indiana Executive Director Kris Deckard. “This site provides some much needed direction and spells out what education or short-term training they may need to get the local jobs they desire.”
Specifically, job seekers can search their local or preferred region of the state to discover the most in-demand jobs and overview of each. They can also learn the following about those positions:
-Average salary
-Baseline and specialized skills necessary
-Certification/training required
-Indiana training providers (with direct contact links)
-Job status and earnings of recent graduates with these credentials
“Despite the persistence of a high unemployment rate, Indiana’s employers remain frustrated that they cannot find skilled workers to fill thousands of available positions,” Derek Redelman, Indiana Chamber Vice President of Education and Workforce Development, said. “While four-year college degrees continue to be an important goal for many young adults, some of our state’s best job opportunities are through one-year certificates and two-year associate’s degrees.”
IndianaSkills.com is a direct response to educators and students who have asked for help in identifying the specific skills and pathways that are in highest demand, according to Redelman.
Beyond unemployed Hoosiers and students (along with their advisors and counselors) looking for career guidance, there are other target audiences for the new web site.
Employers have the opportunity to quickly and easily download customized job descriptions pulling from real-time data. They may also learn more about regional and state occupational trends, the skills and credentials they should be requiring for their open positions, plus the wages being paid to similar employees around the state. Additionally, economic developers, researchers and policymakers can all benefit from the statistics compiled at IndianaSkills.com, which are more recent than traditional Bureau of Labor Statistics data and based upon what employers are actually requesting.
To ensure the data on IndianaSkills.com remains current, it will be updated annually. In the coming year, plans are to expand the site to include supply and demand for occupations and graduates of four-year degrees and above.