STATEHOUSE – Indiana State Comptroller Elise Nieshalla supports Indiana’s additional $5 million investment in Israeli Bonds, as announced today by State Treasurer Daniel Elliott.

“What a privilege to represent a state that is offering further investment to Israel that aligns with our fiduciary duty to deliver solid yield, low risk and high liquidity with state dollars,” commented Comptroller Nieshalla. “As an American, seeing what is happening to Israel and the Jewish people is devastating and there is a strong sense of duty to stand with our friends. As a Hoosier, I value the opportunity for our state to partner with a country that has offered us decades of innovation and security support.”

Comptroller Nieshalla manages the distribution of tax dollars to units of government and it is vitally important that state dollars are invested with integrity.

Indiana currently holds $105 million dollars in Israeli Bonds – today’s announcement increases the State’s investment to $110 million. The three-year investment at a fixed rate of 5.5% will yield at 65 basis points higher than US Treasury notes.

U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), co-chairs of the Senate Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus, reintroduced the bipartisan Assisting Community Colleges in Educating Skilled Students (ACCESS) to Careers Act. The legislation would boost student success and career readiness by increasing work-based learning opportunities and apprenticeships, ensuring students have access to support services like career navigators and counselors, and creating career pathways to meet the changing skill demands of the U.S. economy.

“From life sciences to semiconductors to pharma to ag, many exciting things are made in Indiana by Hoosier workers,” said Senator Young. “We need to support the ingenuity and talent of our Hoosier workforce by increasing work-based learning opportunities and apprenticeships. Our bipartisan bill will help provide greater access to the training and education needed in our modern economy.”

“The needs of our economy are often changing, and Virginians should have easier access to the training and education they need to adapt and get good-paying, in-demand jobs,” said Senator Kaine. “The ACCESS to Careers Act would help provide students with those opportunities, boost Virginia’s economy, and help employers hire high-skilled workers.”

Specifically, the ACCESS to Careers Act would authorize the Secretary of Education to provide: 

• Grants to states to develop strategies such as dual enrollment, apprenticeships, and accelerated training programs to support student success and workforce preparedness.
• Grants to Community Colleges and Consortia of Community Colleges to increase the number of students who attain postsecondary credentials in high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industries and develop and improve strategies to support student success.

Young and Kaine have long led efforts to expand access to job training, including introducing the Data for American Jobs Act in 2023 to ensure that federal education data and research incorporates job training to help improve states’ career readiness programs, meet the needs of the economy, and expand the skilled workforce.

The legislation is endorsed by American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), Higher Learning Advocates, Jobs for the Future (JFF), and the National Skills Coalition (NSC). 

Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced today the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning is awarding another $6.9 million in employer-sponsored child care grants to an additional 22 businesses, community groups and school corporations, bringing the total invested to $25 million. The initiative, part of Gov. Holcomb’s 2024 Next Level Agenda, is mobilizing employers and communities to create or expand child care offerings that address the needs of working Hoosiers.

“By having more child care options, Hoosiers are provided the flexibility to enter and stay in the workforce and attain a better quality of life for their families,” Gov. Holcomb said. “The State is pleased to partner with businesses to provide more opportunities for their workforce, leading to a sustainable future for Indiana families.”

Forty employers plan to provide on-site child care to their employees, and 15 will offer child care tuition benefits to their workers. The remaining awardees plan to support child care for their employees in a variety of other ways, such as reserving seats at partner child care centers. The full list of allowable uses and details can be found here.

Overall, more than 40 large employers with 1,000 or more employees will receive up to $750,000 each. More than 30 mid-sized employers with between 100 and 999 employees will receive up to $350,000. And 12 small employers with between 20 and 99 employees will receive up to $50,000.

“Thousands of families will benefit from affordable, convenient access to child care, and nearly 100 businesses, community groups and schools will benefit from a workforce that doesn’t have to worry about where they’re going to find it,” said Courtney Penn, OECOSL director. “But most importantly, children will benefit from quality early education that will set them up for success in K-12 and beyond.”

The program, a partnership with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, uses a portion of the state’s remaining federal relief funds from the COVID-19 pandemic and is part of the state’s broader efforts to strengthen the early child care and education sector, providing support for today’s workforce and investing in tomorrow’s. The program is also supported by the Indiana Manufacturers Association.

See the full list of employers that received grants here.