Indiana Work-Based Learning: New Resources Help Rush County Employers Build Their Future Workforce

RUSHVILLE, IN — Building a strong workforce doesn’t begin when a company posts a job opening. It begins much earlier, when students have opportunities to explore careers, develop workplace skills and understand the opportunities available in their communities.

For Rush County employers, a new statewide resource may make those connections easier.

On October 6, 2026, Indiana announced the launch of a Work-Based Learning Digital Resource Hub, developed through a partnership between the Indiana Department of Education, Indiana Commission for Higher Education and Ascend Indiana.

The resource provides practical guidance to help employers, educators and workforce partners develop meaningful work-based learning experiences for students.

As Rush County continues strengthening connections between local businesses and education, these tools offer another opportunity to help prepare the next generation of workers.

What Is Work-Based Learning?

Work-based learning connects classroom education with real-world workplace experiences.

Depending on the program, students may participate in internships, structured workplace projects, cooperative education, apprenticeships or other experiences that help them develop career-related knowledge and skills.

These opportunities allow students to better understand what different occupations involve while giving employers a chance to introduce young people to their industries.

For example, a student interested in manufacturing might benefit from working alongside experienced technicians, learning about quality-control procedures or completing a supervised technical project.

A student interested in business could gain experience with customer service, marketing, accounting or day-to-day business operations.

Healthcare, agriculture, construction, transportation and professional services also offer opportunities for students to connect their education with workplace expectations.

The goal is to provide experiences that are meaningful for students and valuable for employers.

Why Indiana Is Expanding Work-Based Learning

Indiana’s updated high school diploma places greater emphasis on preparing students for life after graduation.

Students have opportunities to pursue readiness seals aligned with their future goals, including continued education, employment and military service.

Work-based learning is an important component of that preparation.

Rather than relying entirely on classroom instruction, students can demonstrate their skills and gain practical experience connected to potential careers.

For employers, this creates an opportunity to become more directly involved in workforce preparation.

Instead of waiting until young people graduate to introduce them to an industry, businesses can help students understand career opportunities and develop relevant skills while they are still in school.

That approach can be especially valuable in smaller communities where employers and schools have opportunities to develop lasting relationships.

What Does the New Resource Hub Offer Employers?

One of the challenges businesses face when considering student internships or work-based learning programs is knowing where to begin.

Employers may have questions about supervision, training plans, student responsibilities, program requirements and how to coordinate with schools.

Indiana’s new Work-Based Learning Digital Resource Hub was developed to help address those questions.

Available resources include an employer readiness assessment, guidance on different types of work-based learning experiences, program-design tools and information about the responsibilities of participating organizations.

The hub also includes a Work-Based Learning Training Plan and Partnership Agreement Template.

For qualifying experiences under Indiana’s updated diploma requirements, schools must maintain a training plan and partnership agreement documenting the student’s learning experience.

These resources help schools and employers establish expectations, identify skills to be developed and determine how student progress will be evaluated.

Businesses interested in learning more can explore the Ascend Indiana Work-Based Learning Resources.

Five Ways Rush County Employers Can Get Started

Employers don’t necessarily need to develop a large apprenticeship program to begin exploring how they can support career-connected learning.

A smaller, carefully planned opportunity may be an appropriate starting point.

1. Identify Careers Students Should Know About

Consider the positions within your business that students may not realize exist.

A manufacturing facility, for example, may employ people in engineering, maintenance, purchasing, logistics, human resources and information technology.

Introducing students to those opportunities can broaden their understanding of an industry.

2. Identify Skills Your Business Needs

Think about the technical and professional skills that help employees succeed.

Communication, problem-solving, reliability, teamwork and attention to detail are valuable across many occupations.

Businesses can help students understand how those skills are used in actual workplaces.

3. Determine What Type of Experience Fits Your Organization

Some businesses may be interested in offering structured internships.

Others may be better positioned to support a classroom project, workplace simulation or another school-coordinated experience.

The new resource hub explains the different models recognized by Indiana and provides guidance to help employers determine which options may be appropriate.

Not every career-exploration activity qualifies as formal work-based learning under Indiana’s graduation requirements. Schools and employers should review applicable program standards before establishing an experience.

4. Connect With Education and Workforce Partners

Employers don’t have to navigate the process alone.

Indiana has established a network of regional intermediaries to help connect businesses and schools.

These organizations can provide guidance on developing programs, identifying partners and coordinating work-based learning opportunities.

Businesses can use Ascend Indiana’s Intermediary Directory to identify organizations serving Rush County.

5. Start With a Clear Plan

A successful work-based learning experience should have a defined purpose.

Employers and schools should understand what students will learn, who will provide supervision and how progress will be measured.

Safety, age-appropriate duties, scheduling and applicable employment requirements must also be considered.

Starting with clear expectations helps create a better experience for everyone involved.

Connecting Today’s Students With Tomorrow’s Careers

Rush County’s workforce-development efforts already include opportunities for students to interact with local employers.

Manufacturing Day, career exploration activities and the Rushville Consolidated High School College & Career Fair help introduce students to industries, occupations and educational pathways.

These activities are valuable because they create awareness.

But career exploration can also serve as the beginning of a longer relationship between students and employers.

A student who discovers an interest in manufacturing during a facility tour might later pursue technical education or a structured workplace learning experience.

Someone introduced to healthcare careers at a career fair may begin researching the certifications or degrees required for a particular occupation.

Those connections can help students make more informed decisions about their futures.

They also help businesses become more visible to the people who may eventually join their workforce.

Building a Stronger Rush County Talent Pipeline

For Rush County, workforce development is about more than filling today’s vacancies.

It is about helping local employers develop access to skilled workers while giving residents opportunities to build successful careers.

That requires continued collaboration among businesses, educators, workforce organizations and community partners.

Rush County Economic & Community Development Corporation remains committed to strengthening those connections and helping local businesses understand the workforce resources available to them.

Indiana’s new Work-Based Learning Digital Resource Hub provides another tool to support that effort.

Employers interested in exploring opportunities can begin by reviewing the statewide resources, identifying potential experiences within their organizations and connecting with education and workforce partners.

The businesses that invest in developing future talent today can help build a stronger Rush County workforce for tomorrow.

To explore the new resources, visit Ascend Indiana’s Work-Based Learning Resource Hub.

For information about local workforce-development partnerships, contact Rush County ECDC.