The Indiana Senate unanimously passed a bill authored by State Rep. Chuck Goodrich (R-Noblesville) to break down career barriers for students from low-income families.
House Enrolled Act 1009 would exempt a student’s income earned through a paid internship, apprenticeship and work-based programs from their family’s eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Goodrich said some students may turn down these opportunities because they could put their family at risk of losing certain benefits.
Goodrich
“Many companies today have a minimum requirement of one to two years of relevant work experience, even for entry-level jobs,” Goodrich said. “Programs like internships and apprenticeships are essential educational and networking opportunities that every student should be able to participate in without worrying about how it will affect their family’s financial situation.”
Speaker-elect Todd Huston (R-Fishers) said the proposed legislation comes as Indiana needs to grow and strengthen its workforce in order to meet employers’ demands. Indiana’s unemployment rate continues to sit below the national average, which means the Hoosier state has more jobs available than people to fill them.
“Indiana is in a position where it needs to skill up its workforce as the state looks to fill roughly one million jobs over the next 10 years in critical fields like manufacturing and health care,” Huston said. “By empowering the next generation of Hoosier workers, we are tapping into a broader talent pool that could help keep our state’s economy thriving.”
House Enrolled Act 1009 is eligible for the governor’s signature to become law. For more information, visit iga.in.gov.