Hoosier Home Base Website Encourages Veterans to “Make Northeast Indiana Your Home Base”
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, in collaboration with the Northeast Indiana Base Community Council and the Indiana Economic Development Association Foundation, has launched a new website called “Hoosier Home Base” to attract military veterans and their families to the region.
Northeast Indiana has a talent shortage. Regional employers are consistently searching for skilled workers to fill critical jobs so they can grow, or even just maintain, their operations. The Regional Partnership focuses on unique talent attraction strategies to grow Northeast Indiana’s population and workforce in response to the needs of regional businesses.
Michael Galbraith, director of the Road to One Million at the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, hears every day from regional employers who are in need of skilled talent. He says, “At the same time the region confronts this workforce challenge, research shows us that between 100,000 and 200,000 service members exit the military each year. Typically, about one third of these service members are willing to relocate for the right opportunity and community, and we know Northeast Indiana can be that community.”
Hoosier Home Base is a digital, military-friendly front door to Northeast Indiana, showcasing job opportunities and quality of life in the region. It uses the existing Northeast Indiana Jobs Portal and adds information about amenities and cost of living, along with ways to connect with the community and veterans already living in the region, through a new initiative called the “Buddy Program.”
“My wife and I showed up with a toddler and two full cars on a rainy Sunday evening in the early 1990s, never having been here before and not knowing anyone,” says Sean Ryan, director of the office of engagement for Purdue University and Navy veteran. “I can honestly say that this has been a great place to raise my two girls. Northeast Indiana has plenty of family-friendly activities, a reasonable cost of living, good schools, plenty of civic groups and churches to choose from, and most importantly, ample job opportunities for me and my wife. The goal of the Buddy Program is to link veterans like me with those who might be considering a move to Northeast Indiana, so we can help answer questions and make the transition to civilian life smoother.”
Hoosier Home Base features a multitude of information, including:
- Resources for veterans
- Career opportunities
- Local community connections
- Quality of life in the region
- Resources for families
- Educational information
- Veteran benefits
- Cost of living information
“Our intent with this effort is to provide a “one-stop-shop” for veterans to learn about opportunities and life in the region. Northeast Indiana is home to the 122nd Fighter Wing, and we are a very military-friendly, welcoming community,” says Patrick Dooley, Northeast Indiana Base Community Council president. “We believe Northeast Indiana makes the perfect home base for service members and their families transitioning into civilian life.”
If you are veteran or family member of a veteran interested in volunteering for the Buddy Program, sign up to see how you can help make the transition to civilian life smoother for other service members. To learn more, visit the website at www.hoosierhomebase.com.
About the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership’s mission is to build, market and sell Northeast Indiana to increase business investment. Founded in 2006, the public-private partnership strives to build a globally competitive region. The Partnership’s Vision 2030 framework supports collaborative regional efforts to increase per capita income, population growth and educational attainment by focusing on business attraction, talent attraction and talent development. The Partnership represents 11 member counties: Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley counties. For more information, visit www.neindiana.com.
###
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kate Virag
Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Communications
Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
260.414.2431
kate@NEIndiana.com
