Alex Cohen is the Director of Learning and Evaluation for the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. Tobacco and opioids continue to claim Hoosier lives. Last year in Indiana, more than 1,700 died from a drug overdose, an increase of 13 percent over 2016. And each year, more than 11,000 people die in Indiana due to smoking cigarettes. Addressing these two public health issues requires collaboration across sectors. This includes employers. Aside from inflicting harm on Indiana residents, tobacco use and opioid misuse cost employers, too. It’s estimated that, each year, tobacco costs the state $7.6 billion and opioids cost an additional $1.5 billion. Employers pay a share of this through higher […]

Youth apprenticeship has the potential to create a new, clearly defined pathway that enables students to journey directly from high school into a career while also earning industry credentials and post-secondary credits.