(INDIANAPOLIS) – Five new providers join Indiana Adult Education in the coming year to offer basic skills remediation, high school equivalencies, short-term training, and industry certifications to Hoosiers, according to Marilyn Pitzulo, Associate Chief of Adult Education, Indiana Department of Workforce Development.
Additional programs were selected from a recent grant competition and include a mix of post-secondary institutions, workforce agencies, and non-profit organizations. New providers are Martin University; YMCA of Greater Indianapolis; Ivy Tech Community College (Bloomington and Evansville); and Workforce Development Services, Inc, in northwest Indiana.
Adult Education provides classes close to home and work in every county, and about 30,000 Hoosiers are served each year through a network of 50 local programs with more than 200 class locations.
“Ivy Tech Community College, both statewide and in Region 11 (Evansville), is committed to serving local community needs,” said Kyla Dowell, Executive Director of workforce development. Locally, she said Ivy Tech has seen an increased number of community organizations and individuals ask for adult education and high school equivalency preparation.
“We felt there was a gap we should be filling,” Dowell said.
In Evansville and surrounding areas, Ivy Tech joins Vincennes University to offer under-served populations and individuals interested in college or workforce training. Dowell said the Evansville campus plans to enroll 200 students a year and grow from there.
“We have a streamlined process to enroll adult education students into our more than 100 certificate and associate degree programs. All students in the adult education program will have the opportunity to take advantage of our statewide career coaching and employer connections services as well,” she said.
In Indianapolis, Martin University and the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis join school districts, Marian University, and Indy Reads to serve the growing need of Hoosier adults in Marion County who need further education and training for better jobs.
According to Liz Clabaugh, Adult Education and Training Director, the adult education grant provides the YMCA an opportunity to scale its workforce development program, Project Connect, throughout the city and county.
Project Connect provides a focus on healthcare and includes the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification. Clabaugh said the Certified Nursing Assistant program will be in collaboration with the Metropolitan Indianapolis – Central Indiana Area Health Education Center (MICI-AHEC) at University of Indianapolis and Father’s Heart CNA Training Center.
In northwest Indiana, Workforce Development Services (WDS) focuses on improving the conditions of communities by connecting resources and services. Joy Berry, executive director of Healthy East Chicago, Inc., said WDS plans to utilize adult education specifically targeted toward “vulnerable populations,” including under-employed and unemployed African Americans and Latinos who possess low education and limited vocational skills. She said listening sessions are taking place to develop educational tools and training for local and regional demand occupations.
For more information about services, contact an Indiana Adult Education program or visit the Department of Workforce Development at https://www.in.gov/dwd/.
