By Rep. Stephen Bartels
From office closures and breaks in the supply chain to staffing shortages and now threats of vaccine mandates, small businesses face many challenges. With more than 1.2 million Hoosiers employed by a small business, we must continue to implement innovative solutions so they can provide jobs, goods and services, and a boost to our state and local economies.
A recent visit to a Dubois County manufacturer helped shine the light on ongoing obstacles facing small business owners today. Todd Fromme, a Jasper native, founded Industrial Technologies, specializing in plastic, metal, acrylics and LED lighting. He started with a 3,500 square-foot workshop on Vine Street but soon outgrew the space and purchased a nearby 22,000 square-foot, two-story building. When the pandemic hit, this resilient entrepreneur shifted to making plexiglass dividers.
Even as Fromme and other Hoosier employers weathered the impacts of the global pandemic, they are now dealing with a labor shortage. In Indiana alone, one million jobs need to be filled over the next 10 years. Local employers are also voicing concerns that a vaccine mandate handed down from the federal government will only intensify the labor shortage, which could result in more industries heavily investing in automation. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development reported the number of open jobs statewide has increased 25% from early August to early October.
Indiana’s Next Level Jobs provides opportunities for Hoosiers to skill up and earn credentials to secure in-demand, high-paying positions in fast-growing industries — for free. With Workforce Ready Grants, their tuition costs are covered as they earn an eligible, high-value certificate from Ivy Tech Community College or Vincennes University. Participants can continue to work while training part time. Next Level Jobs also provides Indiana employers reimbursements up to $50,000 to train employees in high-growth field. To learn more, visit nextleveljobs.org. For those who want to quickly earn a job certification — in less than six months — there’s a program called Accelerate Indiana, which helps offset the cost of training with loans of up to $7,500.
As your state representative, I strongly oppose President Biden’s vaccine mandate for employers. The decision whether to get vaccinated or not should be left to individuals — not the federal government. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita announced he is filing legal actions against the Biden administration to stop unlawful vaccine mandates for employers and employees across the country. I look forward to discussing ways the state legislature can fight back against this unconstitutional federal overreach.
In Indiana, we are fortunate to be home to thousands of small businesses. I will continue to support efforts removing burdensome regulations on our job providers, and growing and skilling up the Hoosier workforce. For more information on these programs or input on how I can better serve our community, please reach out to [email protected] or call 317-232-9863.
State Rep. Stephen Bartels, R-Eckerty, represents House District 74, which includes portions of Spencer, Dubois, Perry, Crawford and Orange counties.