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Ivy Tech life sciences center opening today
(Herald-Times (Bloomington, IN) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jan. 12--The Indiana Chamber of Commerce is advocating for a more collaborative approach to adult education and workforce training opportunities to better serve more Hoosiers.
Work that is already being done in the Monroe County area, according to a leader in the local chamber.
"We are working well together," said Matt Wysocki, director of Workforce Initiatives at the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce.
"All the cooperation between workforce development and Ivy Tech on life sciences, new programs and certifications."
The proof: A 20,000 square-foot building in Bloomington to serve both Ivy Tech students and local employees in the growing industry.
The Ivy Tech Community College Indiana Center for the Life Sciences opens today after a year of construction in order to provide additional training opportunities. Industry partners include Cook Inc., Cook Pharmica, BioConvergence, Boston Scientific and Baxter, who will use the center to train present and future employees.
This initiative is the type recommended by the Indiana Chamber in its report released this week.
Kevin Brinegar, President and CEO of the Indiana Chamber, said the important long-term challenge and priority of the state is improving the skills and quality of the workforce.
"We will continue to push that and promote that," Brinegar said.
The recommendations in the state chamber report follow up on its 2008 finding that nearly one million adults in the state have not completed high school, speak little or no English and/or are in families that earn less than a living wage.
What about locally?
State chamber numbers taken from 2006 census data show there are 14,215 adults in the Bloomington region who fall in these categories.
Now that the report is released, the next step is to lobby the governor's administration to put some of the recommendations in place.
Gov. Mitch Daniels is planning $767 million in cuts to the current budget, so until the state's fiscal fortunes improve, Brinegar doesn't expect additional resources right away but coordination of what is available in a more efficient way.
Such as partnerships.
Bloomington's Ivy Tech has partnered with the local chamber to provide professional development to managers. Wysocki said the chamber received a training acceleration grant and is working with Ivy Tech on the training.
Another example of local collaboration is a skills test that can be shared as certification with companies such as Cook. WorkKeys is a program that tests applied mathematics, reading for enumeration and finding information.
The program Web site describes it as a job skills assessment system that measures real-world skills, connecting work skills, training and testing for both education and employers. The testing program is offered in local high schools for those who are unsure about college but want some certification after graduation.
Wysocki said he was pleased to see WorkKeys mentioned favorably by the Indiana Chamber in its report released this week -- and that the local community is already using it.
REPORT'S KEY RECOMMENDATIONS:
--Goal-setting and accountability: Stakeholders and providers should work together to develop measurable goals such as total number of adults served, number completing recognized credentials and the number of transitions from adult basic education to college-level work.
--Collaboration and alignment: One suggestion is for the state to work toward creating a single port of entry for adults in need of education and training, where they would be assessed and placed into the most appropriate level and type of skills training.
--Affordability: Make it a priority to allocate funding for part-time students. Only $5.3 million out of $210 million in state grant financial aid is dedicated to Hoosiers attending school part time.
--Administration/organizational infrastructure: A coordinating mechanism -- either within the existing structure or potentially a new entity -- should be developed to provide long-term strategic direction for the adult basic education and workforce training effort.
--Marketing and awareness: There needs to be a compelling and coherent message to the public and employers regarding the value of improving education and skills, and the options available to them.
Source: Indiana Chamber of Commerce
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