BizVoice -- March / April 2018

44 BizVoice/Indiana Chamber – March/April 2018 Agency Leader to Focus on Collaboration WORKFORCE CALLING By Rebecca Patrick Fred Payne may be new to the job, but not to the needs of employers and what the modern workforce of today and tomorrow should look like. Payne, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) as of mid-December, was previously an employment and labor attorney. Since 2008, he worked for Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC (HMIN) in Greensburg; his most recent position was as chief administrator. It took a lot to lure him from HMIN, where he led the company’s business division – overseeing among other areas: corporate affairs, government relations, information services and administrative functions (including human resources), in addition to serving as the compliance officer. What ultimately piqued Payne’s interest to move to state government was the “climate” he would be walking into at DWD; in other words, the challenge. “Right now, we are in a time we have not been before. Indiana has a low unemployment rate, but we still have jobs to fill throughout the state. This is a unique opportunity to have an impact to help craft a system that can go on and last and reap benefits for years,” he explains. “It was that piece of it that attracted me … to be a part of helping to grow and evolve a workforce system that I know we desperately need.” Getting to know A Louisiana native, Payne holds a master’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa and a bachelor’s degree from Grambling State University. He went to law school at Indiana University in Bloomington, where he met his wife, Kelly, a graduate student from Michigan. A few years later they married and made Indiana their home. Payne is admitted to the 7th and 9th Circuits of the U.S. Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Courts for northern and southern districts of Indiana, northern and central districts of Illinois, plus the western district of Wisconsin. Beyond spending time with his family, a passion of Payne’s is hitting the open road. He likes to ride his motorcycle locally in Indianapolis and go on occasional Saturday morning trips with friends. “I try to fit it in as often as I can … but it’s not enough,” he laughs. The book that’s had the biggest impact on him is Max Lucado’s Traveling Light . “It really talks about how you have to de-stress and prioritize things, and focus on what’s in front of you,” Payne relays. When asked what he’s most proud of in his professional life, the response highlights traits that are important to Payne. “I’m very proud that I’m considered a person who is civil. I try to make sure that I have established a reputation of really listening and trying to understand the problems around me and to come up with solutions. I’m proud to work with other people and build consensus.” The challenge; the goals Governor Eric Holcomb has called upskilling Indiana’s workforce the defining issue of this decade. To dramatically move the needle, Payne recognizes it will take an all-hands-on-deck approach, working with various other agencies and interested parties. The priorities for DWD dovetail with what the Governor laid out, as part of his Next Level vision, in the State of the State address: • Help at least 25,000 of the more than 700,000 Hoosier adults with some college but no degree make the life-changing decision to go back and enroll in postsecondary programs • Help at least 30,000 of the 475,000 Hoosier adults without a high school diploma gain the education and skills they need to get a better job • By 2019, increase the number of work-based learning experiences (internships and apprenticeships) from 12,500 to 25,000 – making Indiana a top-five state in this area • By 2020, help at least 1,000 Hoosier adults in the state’s prison system earn certificates and credentials each year, so that they can secure high-demand, high-wage jobs upon release “Training and education is what the workforce needs, regardless of what sector you are in; all individuals need some type of it. Some of that is direct classroom work and some of that is through work-based learning,” Payne notes. Engaging with employers is among the top priorities for Fred Payne, who visited with the Indiana Chamber’s Executive Committee in January.

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