-FOR INDUSTRY PARTNERS
Your next best hire
is still in high school.
40% of Southwest Indiana employers can't fill entry-level roles through traditional hiring. Work-based learning changes the math - and erepio makes it effortless.
$1.47
returned for every $1 invested in apprenticeship
2-4x
higher retention vs traditional hires
$9,600
max federal tax credit (WOTC) per qualifying WBL hire - money you're likely leaving on the table.
67%
of WBL interns convert to full-time within 12Â months
94%
of apprenticeship completers still employed after 1 year
-THE REAL PROBLEM
Traditional hiring is broken.
You already know it.
We know the old playbook... you post a job, screen resumes, and hope for the best.
This isn't working for entry-level talent you're looking to retain. Here's why:
40%
The pipeline is empty
Four in ten Indiana employers can't fill entry-level positions through traditional channels. The regional labor pool isn't growing - competition for it is. We are ready for change.
$4,700
Every bad hire is expensive
That's the average cost of a bad entry-level hire, per the U.S. Dept. of Labor. Add agency fees of $4k–$14k to fill the role in the first place and the math gets ugly fast.
High turnover
New hires don't stick
Traditional hires have no relationship with your company before day one. No loyalty, no context, no commitment. WBL-to-hire employees retain at 2–4x the rate of open-market hires.
- THE DATA
Work-based learning pays.
Here's the proof.
These aren't projections.
These are outcomes from organizations that have been running WBL programs long enough to measure what happens.
The real cost of hiring - compared
Traditional (agency/posting)
$4,000 - $14,000+
60-120 days
Internal referral
$1,000 - $3,000
30-60 days
*WBL cost includes employer time and wages paid during the experience. Excludes recruiting fees, job board costs, and agency commissions that traditional hiring incurs. Sources: U.S. Dept. of Labor · SHRM · Work+Learn Indiana · apprenticeship.gov
$4,700
avg. cost of a bad entry-level hire
40-60%
faster time-to-productivity for WBL-to-hire vs traditional hires
40%
of Indiana employers can't fill entry-level roles through traditional hiring
86,500
registered apprentices in Indiana right now
Financial incentives & tax benefits
There is real money on the table. Indiana employers who participate in work-based learning have access to federal tax credits, state reimbursements, and training funds that most aren't using.
-
WOTC: up to $9,600 per qualifying hire
-
EARN Indiana: up to 50% of intern wages reimbursed
4
Talent pipeline & reduced hiring costs
Pre-screened candidates at a fraction of the cost. You see how they work before you make an offer — over months, not a 45-minute interview.
-
First look at talent before it hits the open market
-
WBL hires reach full productivity 40–60% faster
-
Eliminate most agency and recruiting fees permanently
1
Workforce development & skills alignment
Train them your way, on your equipment, using your standards. Indiana CTE programs already align to industry frameworks — NOCTI, NCCER, NIMS, and others.
-
Students arrive with verified foundational credentials
-
Influence curriculum through CTE advisory boards
-
Mentorship develops leadership in your current team
2
Long-term regional workforce health
Employers who build WBL pipelines today are investing in a pre-screened, pre-trained, relationship-primed talent pool that their competitors don't have access to. That is a durable competitive advantage.
-
A stronger regional economy benefits every employer
-
Reduce turnover at the source — before it starts
5
Brand visibility & community standing
Be the employer students think of first — before they graduate. WBL relationships reach parents, counselors, and teachers, not just the students directly involved.
-
One partnership radiates influence to hundreds of students per year
-
Public recognition from E-REP and Indiana Chamber
-
Younger workers choose employers who invest in people
3
- MONEY ON THE TABLE
Indiana employers:
there's funding waiting for you.
Most employers don't know these programs exist. The ones who do have a significant advantage. Here's what's available right now.
FEDERAL TAX CREDIT
Up to $9,600
Work opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)
INDIANA STATE PROGRAM
Up to 50%
EARN Indiana
FEDERAL TAX EXEMPTION
$5,250/yr
IRS Section 127
Per qualifying WBL-to-hire. Amount varies by eligibility and hours worked in the first year of employment.
Employer reimbursement for intern wages. One of the most underutilized programs in the state.
INDIANA DWD
Training costs
Skills Enhancement Fund (SEF)
Reimbursement for eligible training costs including wages paid during structured WBL and curriculum development.
Tax-deductible for the employer and tax-exempt for the student. One of the most efficient compensation tools available.
Tax credit eligibility varies by program, employee classification, and WBL structure. Erepio recommends consulting your accountant or HR advisor before claiming credits. Indiana DWD can connect you with WBL specialists who help navigate incentive programs at no cost.
- WORKS FOR YOUR SIZE
Whether you have 5 employees or 500, this works.
The most persistent myth about work-based learning is that it only makes sense for large manufacturers with HR departments. Some of the most effective WBL programs in Southwest Indiana are run by companies with fewer than 20 people.
SMALL BUSINESS - UNDER 50 EMPLOYEES
Compete on relationship, not salary.
You can't out-recruit a large employer on pay. But you can build a personal connection that makes a student choose you before they've even graduated.
PRIMARY ROI DRIVER
Pipeline — hire before competitors see the candidate
BEST WBL TYPES
Mentorship, co-op, internship, team challenge
TIME COMMITMENT
One mentor or one intern at a time
School coordinates everything. You just show up.
LARGER BUSINESS - OVER 50 EMPLOYEES
Build a pipeline your competitors won't have.
Volume matters. A structured WBL program gives you a repeatable, scalable way to develop talent before it hits the job market — and before your competition gets to it.
PRIMARY ROI DRIVER
Volume — build scalable, repeatable talent supply
BEST WBL TYPES
Internship, apprenticeship, simulation, career awareness
TIME COMMITMENT
Structured programs, cohorts, HR involvement