Claire Fiddian-Green is the President & CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. By 2025, 60 percent of jobs will require some type of high-quality degree or credential beyond high school. Currently only 43.4 percent of Hoosiers attain a postsecondary credential or degree, meaning nearly six out of every ten Indiana workers are not prepared to take on the majority of jobs that will be available in just five years. Additionally, Indiana employers continue to report challenges in filling positions with qualified applicants. Last year, 80 percent of Indiana employers reported workforce needs as one of their biggest challenges. What’s becoming increasingly clear is that there is a major leak in […]

Claire Fiddian-Green is the President & CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. The opioid epidemic has received a lot of attention in Indiana, and for good reason. Drug overdose deaths – which are currently being driven by misuse of opioids, including prescription painkillers, heroin and synthetic opioids like fentanyl – resulted in the death of almost 1,300 Hoosiers in 2016. A recent National Safety Council survey found that 80% of Indiana employers reported workplace issues related to employee use of prescription opioids. And Indiana’s Department of Child Services reports that the number of children in foster care has risen dramatically due in large part to the opioid crisis. In […]