Workforce – BioCrossroads

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 25, 2026

First INCAP apprentices start working at employers throughout the state

New pathway prepares students for in-demand jobs

The first high school students participating in the Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway (INCAP) are beginning their apprenticeships as schools across the state start the new academic year. Fifty sophomores and juniors will be INCAP apprentices at 25 employer locations across 15 communities statewide. (See list below of participating employers and schools).

INCAP is a new education and training pathway that prepares Hoosiers for in-demand careers and helps Indiana businesses find and train employees. INCAP is for high school and adult students, with adult career training programs starting later this fall.
Participating high schoolers split their time between the workplace and the classroom, spending multiple full days a week on the job to help ensure they gain in-demand skills while also making meaningful contributions to their employers. The students are paid by their employers and work year-round.

This year, the 50 high schoolers participating in INCAP are enrolled in one of six Apprenticeship Programs:

In Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics, four students are participating in the Polymechanic Apprenticeship Program.
In Banking/Financial Services, 25 students are participating in the Retail Banking Apprenticeship Program.
In Healthcare, 16 students are participating in the Healthcare Assistant Apprenticeship Program.
In Tech/IT, three students are participating in the IT Project Coordinator Apprenticeship Program, one is in the IT Support Technician Apprenticeship Program, and one is in the Software Development Associate Apprenticeship Program.

“Thousands of in-demand jobs across Indiana are waiting to be filled, and INCAP is a game-changing way to help students prepare for those opportunities,” said David Becker, CEMETS iLab Indiana co-chair and chairman and CEO of First Internet Bank, which hired three INCAP apprentices this school year. “With more than 100,000 new jobs expected in Indiana by 2033, we cannot afford to leave talent on the sidelines. Programs like INCAP connect students to meaningful careers while giving employers access to the workforce they need for the future.”

“In addition, not enough Hoosiers get the education and training needed after high school to meet labor market needs. By 2031, 72% of U.S. jobs will require some form of education or training beyond high school, and Indiana is not on track to meet that workplace reality,” said Claire Fiddian-Green, president & CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation and co-chair of CEMETS iLab Indiana, the coalition of Hoosier leaders building INCAP.

INCAP increases options for Hoosiers
The new pathway’s combination of real-world skills training and classroom learning creates more opportunities for Hoosiers to prepare for their future career.

INCAP aligns with Indiana’s new high school diploma requirements, as the pathway provides a structure for students to earn at least 650 hours of work-based learning and a Credential of Value, which are requirements of the new Employment Honors Plus Seal. High schoolers will earn an INCAP credential or degree, while adults who complete an INCAP training program will earn an INCAP degree.

INCAP degrees and credentials are recognized as indicators of industry experience and hold value in the job market, so INCAP apprentices are prepared to enter the job market or pursue college. INCAP degrees and credentials will also count toward college credit in related degree programs across Indiana.

This recognition is enabled by the new Indiana Qualifications Framework, which aligns degrees and credentials earned in INCAP (and other work-based learning pathways) with academic programs and is overseen by the new Indiana Qualifications Advisory Panel (IQAP). After the IQAP coordinates an independent review process that includes industry experts and the Indiana Office of Education gives final approval, INCAP credentials are added to the state’s Credentials of Value list.

As a result, students can more easily transition between INCAP and the college pathway because the education and training they complete in the workplace is recognized for credit.

Looking ahead
Recruitment for the next cohort of INCAP apprentices will begin in January 2027. For the 2027-2028 school year, more than 15 apprenticeship occupations are expected to be available across eight industries with significant workforce needs: Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics, Banking/Financial Services, Construction, Healthcare, Hospitality, Insurance, Life Sciences, and Tech/IT.

Background
The Fairbanks Foundation is funding the creation and launch of INCAP, while CEMETS iLab Indiana — a coalition of more than 300 Hoosier leaders from various industries, K-12 schools, higher education, nonprofits, government, and philanthropic organizations — is leading the effort. Since 2016, the Fairbanks Foundation has awarded more than $25 million in grants to support youth apprenticeship pilot programming and the new education and training pathway now known as INCAP.

Modeled on a world-class system that has prepared Swiss youth and adults for careers since the 1970s, INCAP equips students and adults with the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century workplace and provides employers in key industries with the workers they need to compete on a global scale. iLab leaders have set an ambitious goal for the Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway: to provide education and training to 50,000 Hoosiers by 2034.

List of 2026-27 INCAP apprentices
The employers that have hired at least one INCAP apprentice by Aug. 19, 2026, are listed below.

Industry	Occupation	Employer	Apprenticeship Location	Apprentice’s Year in School	Apprentice’s High School
AML	Polymechanic	Medartis	Warsaw	11^th	Triton in Bourbon
AML	Polymechanic	Medartis	Warsaw	11^th	Triton in Bourbon
AML	Polymechanic	PRD	Springville	11^th	Mitchell in Mitchell
AML	Polymechanic	PRD	Springville	11^th	Bedford North Lawrence in Bedford
Banking	Retail Banker	Citizens State Bank	New Castle	11^th	New Castle
Banking	Retail Banker	Citizens State Bank	New Castle	11^th	New Castle
Banking	Retail Banker	First Bank Midwest	Frankfort	11^th	Clinton Prairie
Banking	Retail Banker	First Federal Savings Bank	Rochester	11^th	Rochester
Banking	Retail Banker	First Internet Bank	Fishers	11^th	Hamilton Southeastern
Banking	Retail Banker	First Internet Bank	Fishers	11^th	Hamilton Southeastern
Banking	Retail Banker	First Internet Bank	Fishers	11^th	Hamilton Southeastern
Banking	Retail Banker	First Merchants Bank	Indianapolis	11^th	Lawrence Central
Banking	Retail Banker	First Merchants Bank	Indianapolis	11^th	Lawrence North
Banking	Retail Banker	First Merchants Bank	Plainfield	11^th	Plainfield
Banking	Retail Banker	First Merchants Bank	Zionsville	11^th	Zionsville
Banking	Retail Banker	First State Bank of Middlebury	Middlebury	11^th	Northridge
Banking	Retail Banker	HomeBank	Martinsville	11^th	Martinsville
Banking	Retail Banker	Hoosier Heartland State Bank	Crawfordsville	11^th	Crawfordsville
Banking	Retail Banker	Lake City Bank	Warsaw	11^th	Warsaw
Banking	Retail Banker	Lake City Bank	Warsaw	11^th	Warsaw
Banking	Retail Banker	The National Bank of Indianapolis	Indianapolis	11^th	Shortridge
Banking	Retail Banker	New Washington State Bank	Charlestown	11^th	Charleston
Banking	Retail Banker	Old National Bank	Evansville	11^th	North
Banking	Retail Banker	Old National Bank	Evansville	11^th	North
Banking	Retail Banker	Old National Bank	Evansville	11^th	North
Banking	Retail Banker	Old National Bank	Evansville	11^th	Harrison
Banking	Retail Banker	Old National Bank	Evansville	11^th	Bosse
Banking	Retail Banker	Old National Bank	Evansville	11^th	Reitz
Banking	Retail Banker	Old National Bank	Evansville	11^th	New Tech Institute
Healthcare	Healthcare Assistant	Community Health Network	Indianapolis	10^th	Lawrence Central
Healthcare	Healthcare Assistant	Community Health Network	Indianapolis	10^th	Lawrence Central
Healthcare	Healthcare Assistant	Community Health Network	Indianapolis	10^th	Lawrence North
Healthcare	Healthcare Assistant	Community Health Network	Indianapolis	10^th	Lawrence North
Healthcare	Healthcare Assistant	Deaconess Midtown	Evansville	10^th	Tecumseh in Lynnville
Healthcare	Healthcare Assistant	Deaconess Midtown	Evansville	10^th	Tecumseh in Lynnville
Healthcare	Healthcare Assistant	Deaconess Midtown	Evansville	10^th	Tecumseh in Lynnville
Healthcare	Healthcare Assistant	Deaconess Midtown	Evansville	10^th	Tecumseh in Lynnville
Healthcare	Healthcare Assistant	Deaconess Midtown	Evansville	10^th	Tecumseh in Lynnville
Healthcare	Healthcare Assistant	Deaconess Midtown	Evansville	10^th	Bosse
Healthcare	Healthcare Assistant	Deaconess Midtown	Evansville	10^th	Central
Healthcare	Healthcare Assistant	IU Health Methodist	Indianapolis	10^th	Believe Circle City
Healthcare	Healthcare Assistant	IU Health Methodist	Indianapolis	10^th	Purdue Polytechnic
Healthcare	Healthcare Assistant	IU Health Paoli	Paoli	10th	Students will come from Shoals, Mitchell, and/or Orleans high schools
Healthcare	Healthcare Assistant	IU Health Paoli	Paoli	10th	Students will come from Shoals, Mitchell, and/or Orleans high schools
Healthcare	Healthcare Assistant	IU Health Paoli	Paoli	10th	Students will come from Shoals, Mitchell, and/or Orleans high schools
Tech/IT	IT Project Coordinator	AvantBlue (Butler)	Indianapolis	11^th	Believe Circle City
Tech/IT	IT Project Coordinator	EmployIndy	Indianapolis	11^th	Lawrence Central
Tech/IT	IT Support Technician	Indianapolis Airport Authority	Indianapolis	11^th	Plainfield
Tech/IT	IT Project Coordinator	TechIndiana	Fishers	11^th	Lawrence North
Tech/IT	Software Development Associate	Tenon	Indianapolis	11^th	Homeschool

About INCAP
INCAP is a new education and training pathway that prepares Hoosiers for in-demand careers and helps Indiana businesses find and train employees. INCAP offers programs for high school and adult students, with the first high school apprenticeships launching for the 2026-2027 school year, while career training programs for adults begin later this fall. INCAP participants split their time between the workplace and the classroom, spending multiple full days a week on the job to help ensure they gain in-demand skills while also making meaningful contributions to their employers. INCAP participants are paid by their employers and work year-round.

After completing an INCAP program, graduates can decide to enter the workforce or attend college. If they launch a career, they’re prepared to enter an in-demand field and have the option to continue industry-led education and training within INCAP. If they go to college, they may be able to complete a college degree in fewer years because INCAP degrees and credentials in related fields are recognized as college credit. For more information, visit IndianaCAP.org.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jen Schmits Thomas, JTPR, (317) 441-2487, [email protected]
Andrea Farmer, Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, (317) 663-4198, [email protected]

INDIANAPOLIS (August 12, 2026) – BioCrossroads today announced the charter members of Indiana’s Life Sciences Industry Talent Association (ITA), an employer-led body that will help define occupational standards and build industry-aligned training pathways for the state’s growing life sciences sector.

Ten employers – three founding members, Eli Lilly and Company, Novartis, and RayzeBio, a Bristol Myers Squibb Company, and seven members, Boston Scientific, Elanco, Evonik, INCOG BioPharma Services, Stevanato Group, Simtra BioPharma Solutions, and BioConverence LLC dba Singota Solutions – have joined the Life Sciences ITA, united by a shared commitment to ensuring Indiana has the skilled workforce its life sciences industry needs to grow, compete, and continue leading the nation.

BioCrossroads serves as the designated ITA for life sciences within the Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway (INCAP), a statewide, employer-led education and training pathway that connects classroom learning with paid, on-the-job training beginning in high school and continuing into adult career advancement. Through INCAP, the various industry-specific ITAs give employers within specific sectors a direct role in identifying priority occupations, defining the skills and competencies those roles require, and shaping the training programs that education and workforce partners deliver.

“Indiana is a critical part of the future of pharmaceutical manufacturing and building that future requires building upon the investments in facilities and technologies to train a highly skilled workforce prepared to support the safe, reliable production of medicines for patients,” said Edgardo Hernandez, executive vice president and president, manufacturing operations, Eli Lilly and Company. “The Life Sciences ITA gives large and small employers a direct role in shaping the training pathways needed to prepare that workforce, creating new opportunities for Hoosiers while strengthening Indiana’s leadership in life sciences manufacturing.”

The Life Sciences ITA’s first priority occupation is a Life Sciences Operator, a foundational role responsible for supporting pharmaceutical and biomanufacturing production environments. Life Sciences Operators help monitor and maintain the equipment used to manufacture medicines in highly regulated settings, ensuring processes meet rigorous quality and safety standards. The role is accessible to candidates with a high school diploma, making it a meaningful entry point into the sector with well-paying wages and clear pathways for career advancement. The Life Sciences ITA plans to launch pilot apprenticeship opportunities for this role in fall 2027.

“Ensuring a sustainable pipeline of talent is key to Novartis’s global workforce strategy and we are proud to be part of bringing Swiss-style apprenticeships to Indiana,” said Rheyan Cader, global head of people & organization, RLT operations / U.S. operations P&O head, Novartis. “As Indiana’s life sciences sector continues to grow, partnerships like this are essential to expanding access to meaningful career pathways and developing the skilled talent needed to support advanced manufacturing, innovation, and long-term industry growth.”

The announcement comes at a moment of significant momentum for Indiana’s life sciences sector and its identity as BioHeartland – the bioscience ecosystem connecting human health, animal health, and plant science innovation across the full journey to invent, make and move life-changing products. Indiana is the nation’s top exporter of life sciences and pharmaceutical products and home to more than 3,300 life sciences establishments employing approximately 70,000 Hoosiers. Together, these companies and their employees generate more than $100 billion in annual economic activity. Demand for skilled talent, including entry-level production and manufacturing roles, continues to outpace supply. Industry projections estimate a need for 2,400 to 3,700 new biomanufacturing employees per year over the next decade in Indiana alone.

“Indiana’s life sciences sector is strong and enjoying tremendous growth. To sustain that growth depends in large part on a workforce pipeline built around the needs of employers,” said Melanie Vuynovich, senior director of life sciences at BioCrossroads, and the leader of the Life Sciences ITA. “The Life Sciences ITA gives industry leaders a direct role in defining what workforce readiness means for life sciences occupations, from the skills required on day one to the training models needed for long-term career growth. As BioHeartland continues to attract global investment and industry growth, developing and retaining world-class talent remains critical to the region’s long-term competitiveness and economic vitality.”

The Life Sciences ITA will operate within Indiana’s growing life sciences workforce ecosystem and through affiliations with other workforce initiatives such as BioTrain, the biomanufacturing training effort established through the Heartland BioWorks Tech Hub, a $51 million project supported by the U.S. Economic Development Administration and led by the Applied Research Institute in collaboration with BioCrossroads, Purdue University, Ivy Tech Community College, and Employ Indy. BioTrain will participate in the Life Sciences ITA to coordinate respective efforts to align training curricula, share employer-defined competency standards, and expand the pipeline of job-ready talent for Indiana’s life sciences and biomanufacturing industries.

Life sciences companies operating in Indiana, or those considering a presence in the state, are encouraged to join the Life Sciences ITA. ITA Membership gives organizations a direct voice in creating and defining the occupational pathways and standards that will shape Indiana’s next generation of life sciences talent. To learn more or express interest in joining, contact BioCrossroads at biocrossroads.com/incap.

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About BioCrossroads

BioCrossroads is a catalyst for Indiana’s diverse and growing life sciences industry, supporting collaboration, expertise, and investments that fuel innovation and transform global health. An initiative of the CEOs of Corporate Partnership (CICP), BioCrossroads advances Indiana’s signature strengths in the life sciences by connecting corporate, academic, and philanthropic partners; facilitating investments in promising startups; building new enterprises; and educating through conferences, reports, and market insights. For more information, visit biocrossroads.com.

About INCAP

The Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway (INCAP) is a statewide initiative that creates new pathways for high school students and adults to train for in-demand careers while helping Indiana employers build the talent pipelines they need to grow. The INCAP Apprenticeship Program (INCAP AP) offers multi-year apprenticeships beginning in high school, combining classroom learning with paid on-the-job training. The INCAP Career Program (INCAP CP) offers industry-led programs for adults. Both programs are anchored by Industry Talent Associations, employer-led bodies that define the occupations, skills, and training needed to meet current and future workforce demand. This work is supported by the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. For more information, visit indianacap.org.