Justin Hicks
Former Workforce Development ReporterJustin Hicks joined the reporting team for Indiana Public Broadcasting News (IPB News) through funding made available by (IPBS) Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations. Justin was based out of WVPE in his new role as a Workforce Development Reporter for IPB News.
Justin came to Indiana by way of New York. He has a Master's Degree from the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University. He previously earned a Bachelor of Music Degree from Appalachian State University where he played trumpet. He first learned about Elkhart, Indiana, because of the stamp on his brass instrument indicating where it was produced.
Not long ago, Justin started a branch of Young Eisner Scholars to work with intellectually curious students in Appalachia. He traveled through rural counties to start a dialogue about math, computer programming, writing, science and philosophy.
Justin was born and raised in Mt. Olive, North Carolina.
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Indiana continues to break state records for low unemployment as it fell to just 2.4 percent in January. But there’s a flip side to that statistic: the rate of Hoosiers 16 and older participating in the workforce stayed flat.
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Gov. Eric Holcomb joined President Joe Biden and others this week to call for a bill in Congress to create more semiconductor manufacturing jobs. They’re calling it a “bipartisan innovation act” – but lawmakers haven’t finalized language to vote on yet.
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The Indiana Commission for Higher Education unanimously voted Thursday to name Chris Lowery the new agency head.
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Schools can now apply for grants of up to $100,000 to support classes in digital manufacturing methods. The effort aims to usher students and companies into what some call the fourth industrial revolution.
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Black leaders from across the state on Monday criticized legislation near the finish line that would affect everything from education to the environment at the NAACP’s annual legislative day at the Statehouse.
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Elkhart, Ind., has the nation's lowest unemployment rate — with less than 1% of workers looking for jobs. Local companies are considering using robots to help pick up the slack.
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House lawmakers cut language out of a bill that would create a statewide program to attract remote workers to Indiana. Instead, it repeated language in another bill that allows local groups to create workforce funds for the same purpose.
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U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) will not face a primary challenger in May following an Indiana Election Commission hearing on Friday. The panel also cleared the way for Tom McDermott to be the Democratic candidate for the seat.
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Amid a nursing shortage, nursing homes are relying on staffing agencies for help – but they're charging more for their services. Agencies say it's simply supply and demand. Nursing homes say they're being gouged. And the nurses themselves just want to make more money.
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Following an investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor is requiring New Hope Services in Jeffersonville to pay back a total of $154,443 to 74 workers with disabilities.