Link copied to clipboard
Students from 91% of Indiana Public School Districts Use The DeBruce Foundation’s Agile Work Profiler to Boost Career Literacy
Indiana leads the country in Agile Work Profiler completions, earns recognition in national report on early career exploration
Kansas City, MO — The DeBruce Foundation today announced that students from 91 percent of Indiana public school districts have now used the organization’s Agile Work Profiler© (AWP) career assessment – a nationally recognized career-exploration tool that helps students identify their strengths, grow their career literacy, and prepare for a rapidly evolving workforce.
The milestone, announced during National Career Development month, comes three years after the Foundation established a partnership to integrate the Agile Work Profiler into the Indiana Career Explorer (INCE) – a free, statewide career and education planning platform.
“Indiana is showing what’s possible when a state invests early in equipping students and educators with accessible, research-based tools,” said Dr. Leigh Anne Taylor Knight, Executive Director and COO of The DeBruce Foundation. “The state’s rapid adoption of the Agile Work Profiler demonstrates a clear commitment to empowering young people to discover their strengths, explore opportunities, and build the skills they need to thrive in their futures.”
The milestone reinforces Indiana’s position as a national leader in early career exploration. This progress was highlighted in the 2025 Extending the Runway report by the American Student Assistance (ASA), which cited Indiana’s partnership with The DeBruce Foundation as a key factor in the state being classified as “advanced” in the advocacy category of middle school career-exploration efforts.
The ASA report commended Indiana’s coordinated approach, noting the broad collaboration among partners, including: the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the Indiana Department of Education, the Commission for Higher Education (CHE), Ivy Tech Community College, Vincennes University, and The Governor’s Workforce Cabinet.
The Agile Work Profiler is one of three assessment tools on The INCE website, which is intended for use by any Indiana resident, from adult clients of Indiana’s WorkOne locations to students across higher education, and youth in Indiana high schools.
To date, there have been more than 90,000 completions of the AWP in Indiana – more than any other state in the nation.
Empowering Indiana’s Students – and Economy
Research shows that students who understand their strengths early are more confident in making postsecondary and career decisions. Students who used Agilities tools explored three more careers than peers in control groups. They also experienced a 17 percent increase in confidence to overcome obstacles
Indiana’s adoption of the AWP is helping instill that confidence at scale, supporting the state’s long-term goals around workforce participation, economic mobility, and talent retention. Indiana’s progress serves as a model for states seeking to bridge the gap between early career awareness and long-term workforce needs.
Evidence-Based Tools – Offered For Free
The Foundation’s Agilities© K–12 Resources now include over 90 free classroom tools and lesson plans designed to help educators integrate Career Literacy into everyday learning.
All of The DeBruce Foundation’s career exploration tools and research are freely available to educators, students, and communities as part of The Foundation’s
philanthropic mission to expand career pathways and increase access to economic opportunity.
The DeBruce Foundation recently hosted a free virtual event, Employment Empowerment for K–12: From Classroom to Career, bringing together hundreds of educators nationwide to explore how classroom practices can prepare students for thriving futures.
Powered by Partnerships:
The DeBruce Foundation is actively seeking additional state-level partners on initiatives that:
- Align with its mission of expanding pathways to economic growth and opportunity
- Support its commitment to ensure individuals gain access to unique career experiences they would not otherwise have had
- Allow companies to expand their employee pipelines, especially with individuals from diverse backgrounds
- Incorporate the Agile Work Profiler, which is designed to reveal an individual’s skills, interests, and how those line up with careers.
About The DeBruce Foundation
The DeBruce Foundation is a national foundation whose mission is to expand pathways to economic growth and opportunity. The Foundation is committed to helping individuals unlock their potential and find career pathways. By developing solutions such as the Agile Work Profiler©, we change how people pursue careers. By partnering strategically, we increase experiences and exposure to widen career opportunities, starting with youth and working across the lifespan. Learn more at www.DeBruce.org.
