(BEDFORD) – The Lawrence County Workforce Coalition provided updates on several initiatives to help educate and provide skills to the local workforce.
The Coalition’s mission is to increase the number of workers qualified to fill employment positions by adopting an industry-driven approach that aligns workforce needs with education and training.
These are three main goals of the Coalition.
- Prepare all students for careers while in high school.
- Increase post-secondary attainment
- Increase adult education and training programs, certifications and employment.
Dr. Ty Mungle provided updates on the corporation’s consolidation plans which he says will provide more opportunities for the students, from early childhood learning through K-12.
Matt Fleck of the North Lawrence Career Center shared that the Strategic Plan is complete and, once approved, it will be released to the public for comments.
Work started on this plan last year and goals associated with the Strategic plan include:
- Strategies: Solutions that will make the greatest impact in relation to the goals.
- Actions: Things that will need to happen to achieve the goals
- Metrics: Specific outputs and outcomes to measure progress
- Champions: groups involved to help achieve the strategies
- Lead: An individual(s) responsible for overseeing those champions
The next step is for the Strategic Plan to be presented to the Advisory Board on January 29th. If approved it will be presented to the North Lawrence Community School Board. Following approval by the school board, the plan will be made public and action steps will be taken to make the plan work.
LCEGC Program Manager Heather Nash Heather said she is working with the legal community to make sure those incarcerated have their HSE and job training to become productive citizens. According to Nash, more than 67 percent of those in jails or prisons do not have a high school diploma.
Nash shared that some local companies are also offering internships. In a co-branded marketing campaign, officials reached out to more than 150 businesses, 17 local employers attended a recent lunch to learn about the program. Three of those businesses have created accounts. If your business is interested you can go to www.Indianaintern.net to learn more.
Mitchell, Orleans, and Shoals schools are partnering to provide career opportunities together. COSMOS is taking a regional approach to improving student learning opportunities.
This collaboration gives these small school districts the edge they need to stretch limited resources in surprisingly powerful ways, and give students access to valuable new opportunities.
The schools applied for an ROI Ready Schools planning grant. The goal of these three corporations is reshaping how they educate students, to better prepare them for a more successful future, as well as provide regional businesses and industries with better qualified and prepared employees.
Last Wednesday the three schools held a joint school board meeting for the public to have a better understanding of this new program.
The HSE programs continue to grow in Lawrence County with Vincennes University making sure adults get their HSE. Over the last year, 31 students have completed and received their HSE.
The collaborative efforts will help employers have qualified employees to meet the needs of their business.
The next update will be in April. The funding for this effort has been provided by a grant that will end later this year. However, there are plans to continue with these initiatives after the grant funding is no longer there.
