Employer Partner Portal
Welcome to the EPN
Your Employer Partner Network portal — everything you need in one place.
Book a 30-minute EPN call
We'll learn your culture, team, and commonly posted roles so we send the right candidates your way — not just any candidate.
Schedule Now →Straight to your inbox
Your registered contact receives an email whenever an Ignite candidate applies to one of your open roles. No applicants that week? No email — we only reach out when there's someone worth your attention.
This portal is your reference hub for everything else — partnership news, events, and network wins.
Our candidates show up motivated, coachable, and ready to prove themselves. We'll be right there supporting both of you, every step of the way.
Hiring Wins
Real Ignite grads, hired by real network employers. This is what the partnership looks like in action.
Every name on this board is proof the partnership works. Real people, real jobs, real impact on Nebraska's workforce.
Partnership Announcements
Celebrating the employers who believed in this work from day one.
19 Organizations. One Shared Mission.
These employer partners committed to the Employer Partner Network from the very beginning — shaping how it works, and giving Ignite graduates a real first-round interview.
Founding Member status is permanent and limited to these 19 organizations. Employers who join the network going forward become Network Members — full partners in every way, just without the Founding Member designation reserved for those who believed in this work first.
"Building Nebraska's workforce, together."
Upcoming Events
Key milestones for EPN Employer Partners.
Kickoff + First Advisory Council Meeting
11:30am – 1:00pm · Lunch provided · Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center, 64th & Dodge, Omaha
Book a 30-Minute EPN Intro Call
Share your culture, team, and commonly posted roles with Kellee.
How It Works
Simple, intentional, built for both of you.
You share your world with us
In a 30-minute call, we learn your culture, your team, and the roles you most commonly hire for — so we send the right people, not just available people.
We email you when a candidate applies
Your registered contact gets an email whenever an Ignite candidate applies to your open roles. No candidates that week? No email.
You give them a 1st round interview
That's the ask. A real conversation. Our candidates have been coached and prepared. What happens next is up to you — and them.
We support you both along the way
We stay connected after placement — supporting the candidate's transition and available to you as they grow into their role.
1st Round Interview
When an Ignite candidate applies to your open role, we ask you to give them a real first conversation. That's it. No hiring guarantees. Just an open door.
Check the Hiring Wins board
Curious what this partnership actually produces? See real Ignite alumni who've been hired through the network.
View Hiring Wins →Our candidates show up motivated, coachable, and ready to prove themselves.
Cohort Calendar
Know what's coming — so you can plan ahead for the talent entering your pipeline.
Our flagship cohort-based career readiness program. Participants complete job search skills, resume building, interview prep, professional presence, and financial literacy — then enter the job market ready to move.
UNO Community Engagement Center, 6001 Dodge St, Omaha, NE 68162
Learn more about 10×10 →| Cohort | Orientation | Start | Program End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | Tue, Feb 2, 2027 | Thu, Mar 4, 2027 |
| 2 | Mon, Mar 22, 2027 | Tue, Mar 23, 2027 | Thu, Apr 22, 2027 |
| 3 | Mon, May 10, 2027 | Tue, May 11, 2027 | Thu, Jun 10, 2027 |
| 4 | Mon, May 10, 2027 | Wed, May 12, 2027 | Fri, Jun 11, 2027 |
| 5 | Mon, Jun 28, 2027 | Tue, Jun 29, 2027 | Thu, Jul 29, 2027 |
| 6 | Mon, Aug 16, 2027 | Tue, Aug 17, 2027 | Thu, Sep 16, 2027 |
| 7 | Mon, Aug 16, 2027 | Wed, Aug 18, 2027 | Fri, Sep 17, 2027 |
| 8 | Mon, Oct 4, 2027 | Tue, Oct 5, 2027 | Thu, Nov 4, 2027 |
| 9* | Mon, Nov 15, 2027 | Tue, Nov 16, 2027 | Thu, Dec 16, 2027 |
*Cohort 9 includes a 1-week break during the program.
The same 5-week program, expanding to serve the Lincoln community.
Lincoln Site — location to be announced
| Cohort | Orientation | Start | Program End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mon, Aug 2, 2027 | Tue, Aug 3, 2027 | Thu, Sep 2, 2027 |
| 2 | Mon, Oct 25, 2027 | Tue, Oct 26, 2027 | Thu, Nov 25, 2027 |
An intensive apprenticeship pipeline through Bellevue University preparing candidates for entry-level IT Help Desk, Data Analytics, and Data Center Technician roles.
Bellevue University Humanities Center, 1040 Bruin Blvd, Bellevue, NE 68005
Learn more about Ignite Tech →| Cohort | Start | Program End Date |
|---|---|---|
| 9 (in progress) | — | Thu, Mar 11, 2027 |
| 10 (in progress) | — | Sun, May 30, 2027 |
| 11 | March 2027 | August 2027 |
| 12 | June 2027 | November 2027 |
| 13 | September 2027 | March 2028 |
| 14 | November 2027 | May 2028 |
Exact start/graduation dates for Cohorts 11–14 to be confirmed — contact us for details.
Ignite Health: CNA pathway following each 10×10 Omaha cohort — up to 15 candidates per cycle into healthcare careers.
Ignite Works: Trade apprenticeship referral model, launching 2027 — navigator support wrapped around your existing hiring process.
Your Partner Benefits
What you unlock as an Employer Partner.
Free Soft Skills Training — Unlocks After Your First Hire
Once you make your first Ignite hire, you unlock access to our full library of soft skills training offerings — available to your entire team at no cost. Topics cover workplace communication, conflict resolution, professional presence, and more.
Browse Training Offerings →Your Founding Member designation is permanent. You're recognized as one of the organizations that believed in this work from day one — and that matters.
Listed on the Ignite Nebraska website and in all EPN materials.
As a Founding Member, you have a seat at the table. The Advisory Council shapes how the network evolves — which programs we build, how we match talent, and where we grow.
First meeting: August 19, 11:30am – 1pm.
Mock Interview Corps
An optional opportunity to share with your team — no commitment required.
This is completely optional — simply something to pass along if members of your team want to get more involved.
Every 5–7 weeks, we host a 2–3 hour mock interview session at the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center (64th & Dodge). Volunteers sit down one-on-one with Ignite candidates to give them real interview practice and honest feedback.
There's no limit on how many sessions someone joins — come as often as your schedule allows.
All sessions held at Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center · 64th & Dodge, Omaha
Sign Up to Volunteer →HR & Recruiting professionals
You know what good looks like. Share that.
Hiring managers
Give candidates a realistic view of what you look for.
Anyone who believes in the mission
No special credentials required — just your time and honesty.
Custom Pathways & Curriculum
If you have a specific role, skill set, or career track that isn't covered by our current programs, we want to hear about it. We work with employer partners to build custom training pathways and curriculum tailored to your workforce needs — so you're not just finding talent, you're helping shape it.
Optional · Not Required
Corporate Sponsorship
Want to go beyond the network and directly fuel the work of Ignite Nebraska? Corporate sponsorships help us run more cohorts, support more candidates, and build the programs that fill your future pipeline. Every dollar goes toward moving Nebraskans from unemployment to family-sustaining careers.
Learn About Sponsorship →Contact Kellee
Your dedicated EPN contact — a real person, not a ticketing system.
Kellee Mikuls
Executive Director, Ignite Nebraska · Your EPN Contact
Can I log in and see my matches here in the portal?
Not yet — today, matches come straight to your registered contact's email, and this portal serves as your reference hub for how the partnership works, plus network news and hiring wins.
What if no one applies to our roles?
You won't hear from us that week. We only send an update when an Ignite candidate has actively applied to one of your open positions.
How do we post our open roles?
Our team will walk you through this on your 30-minute intro call. It takes just a few minutes to set up.
Are we obligated to hire every candidate?
No. The commitment is a 1st round interview — a real conversation. The hiring decision is entirely yours.
What kinds of roles do Ignite candidates pursue?
Candidates come through our healthcare (CNA), technology (IT/data), and skilled trades tracks — early-career, entry-level, and motivated to grow.