‘Build Your Future’ expands to Indiana

Words: Jennifer WilkersonWith construction companies expected to hire more than 61,000 workers in Indiana through 2017, a new partnership between Build Your Future (BYF) and the Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation is committed to meeting the demand for qualified craft professionals while helping individuals achieve their career goals. Build Your Future Indiana is a unique collaboration of employers, state agencies and industry associations that encourages residents to learn about construction careers and training opportunities now emerging in the state and to qualify for and obtain careers in these high-demand occupations.

To kick off the new partnership, indiana.byf.org was launched this year, and customized promotional materials - such as trading cards, posters, brochures, wristbands, sunglasses, stickers, cups, carpenter pencils, lanyards and bookmarks - were sent to more than 1,000 Indiana high schools. Along with these materials, customized presentations, videos and career day resources were also created for Build Your Future Indiana to promote in schools, meetings, conferences and career days across the state and through the Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation's ambassador program. The ambassador program was developed for skilled craft professionals to visit local high schools and present Build Your Future Indiana's mission to students, discuss the value of construction careers, share their personal stories and provide guidance.

In the few short months since Build Your Future Indiana was created, 1.1 million people have already viewed the three TV commercials that BYF customized for the partnership. In addition, a Build Your Future Indiana magazine was published featuring craft professional profiles, salaries and training center locations. As a result of the promotion for Build Your Future Indiana, the partnership has already met its initial goal of reaching 20,000 individuals by June 2016. While BYF resources are available for any organization, BYF partners have the ability to customize material with their own branding and information, which can contribute greatly to the success of their campaigns.

"The partnership between Build Your Future and the Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation is yielding great results in Indiana," said Ali Brown, executive director of the Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation. "We are able to meet a need in the construction industry by connecting schools with student-friendly promotional materials and industry ambassadors. The results so far have been amazing, and we are only getting started."

The early achievements of Build Your Future Indiana are the result of stakeholders having a vested interest in each other's success and collaborating to promote craft careers and facilitate training. As Indiana's construction industry expands, organizations using BYF's resources are assisting in closing the skills gap among the state's craft workforce. For more information on partnering with BYF, please visit www.byf.org.
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