Catapult available in eight locations around Indiana to train adults and high school students for advanced manufacturing careers

INDIANAPOLIS (April 20, 2022) Conexus Indiana joined The Crossing School of Business & Entrepreneurship today for a ribbon-cutting event, celebrating the opening of the Manufacturing Skills Lab at the Frankfort Crossing campus in Frankfort, Ind. The center will use curriculum and equipment provided by Catapult Indiana, Conexus Indiana’s proven career training program that creates pathways to employment and career growth with local manufacturers.

Catapult Indiana is a 160-hour training program that teaches broadly applicable advanced manufacturing skills to unemployed and underemployed adults and high school students through classroom instruction and simulated work experiences. Students are introduced to key advanced manufacturing and logistics principles, with a focus on developing critical thinking skills, a superior work ethic and an understanding of production processes and expectations. Each of these skills is key to entry-level employment as well as career growth.

Catapult has placed on average 85% of its graduates in advanced manufacturing jobs.

“Not only does the advanced manufacturing sector pay well above the family standard of living, but it offers health and retirement benefits and is one of the few sectors that promotes from within, offering a true career ladder for those with less than a four-year college education,” said Brad Rhorer, chief talent programs officer with Conexus Indiana. “We are grateful to The Crossing School of Business & Entrepreneurship for supporting Catapult Indiana, as well as other organizations, including Zotec Foundation, NHK International Corporation and the Community Foundation of Clinton County, for their ongoing support of The Crossing.”

As part of its mission to reach underserved and under-represented populations, Catapult Indiana partners with community, education and industry stakeholders in regions that have above average manufacturing intensity and high unemployment. In Frankfort, The Crossing has an established internship program with NHK. Students will have the opportunity to  train through Catapult, intern with NHK and other manufacturers in the community and earn full time employment upon graduation.

For more information about Catapult training, contact Robert McQuern at Conexus, RMcQuern@Conexusindiana.com.

About Conexus Indiana
For more than a decade, Conexus Indiana, one of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) non-profit initiatives, has been positioning the Hoosier State as the best place for advanced manufacturing and logistics industries to innovate, invest, employ and succeed. By collaborating with industry, academic and public sector partners on a shared vision for an innovative, skilled workforce and stronger business climate, Conexus Indiana has helped to create opportunities for advanced manufacturing and logistics companies, prepare Hoosiers to succeed in the state’s largest industry sectors and maintain Indiana’s competitive advantage. For more information, go to www.conexusindiana.com.