Hospitality Indiana Named Hospitality & Culinary Talent Association for INCAP

Hospitality Indiana is proud to announce that it has been selected as the statewide Hospitality & Culinary Talent Association for the Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway (INCAP) program — a major step forward in building Indiana’s future hospitality workforce.

INCAP is a new statewide initiative designed to connect high school students with high-quality career pathways through paid, work-based learning experiences and employer partnerships. The program creates opportunities for students to gain real-world experience while helping employers build sustainable talent pipelines in critical industries across Indiana.

As the designated Hospitality & Culinary Talent Association, Hospitality Indiana will work directly with employers, educators, and workforce partners to help shape and grow hospitality and culinary apprenticeship pathways throughout the state.

What is INCAP?

The Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway (INCAP) program was created to strengthen Indiana’s workforce by providing students with meaningful career-connected learning opportunities before graduation. Through partnerships between employers and education providers, students can explore careers, develop technical and professional skills, and earn valuable industry experience while still in high school.

In addition to serving high school students, INCAP also includes an adult learner component designed to support career changers, underemployed individuals, and incumbent workers seeking advancement opportunities within the hospitality industry. This broader approach helps employers address immediate workforce needs while creating long-term talent pipelines through apprenticeships, upskilling, and industry-recognized training opportunities.

The hospitality and culinary industries are uniquely positioned to benefit from this initiative. Restaurants, hotels, tourism organizations, event venues, and foodservice operations across Indiana continue to face workforce shortages while also seeking new ways to attract and retain talent. INCAP provides a structured framework to introduce students to rewarding long-term careers in hospitality.

Hospitality Indiana’s Role

As the Hospitality & Culinary Talent Association, Hospitality Indiana will:

• Convene employers across the hospitality and culinary industries

• Help design industry-aligned apprenticeship pathways

• Coordinate with education and workforce partners

• Support participating employers with implementation resources

• Advocate for the needs of Indiana’s hospitality workforce

• Promote career awareness and opportunities for students statewide

The initiative will focus on creating pathways that are practical, scalable, and responsive to the evolving needs of Indiana employers.

How Employers Can Get Involved

Hospitality Indiana is currently seeking employers interested in participating in the INCAP initiative. Employers can engage in a variety of ways, including:

• Hosting student apprentices or work-based learning experiences

• Helping shape curriculum and pathway development

• Participating in industry advisory discussions

• Providing mentorship opportunities

• Supporting career exploration events and student engagement activities

Participation is open to hospitality businesses of all sizes, including restaurants, hotels, resorts, catering companies, country clubs, tourism organizations, and other hospitality-related employers.

Employers who participate will have the opportunity to directly influence the future workforce while building stronger recruitment pipelines for their own operations.

Looking Ahead

Hospitality Indiana believes this initiative represents a transformational opportunity for Indiana’s hospitality and culinary industries. By bringing employers and educators together, INCAP will help create sustainable career pathways that benefit students, businesses, and communities across the state.

Additional details regarding employer participation opportunities, pathway development, and upcoming meetings will be announced in the coming weeks.

Businesses interested in learning more or participating in the Hospitality & Culinary INCAP initiative are encouraged to contact Hospitality Indiana for more information.