Over the last four years EcO15 has focused on putting in place technical programs and labs, enabling the Southeast Indiana region to be better prepared to improve the educational opportunities in the career fields that drive our regional economies, particularly advanced manufacturing, which is the dominant and highest potential employment sector in our area.
To that end, a significant investment in programming within Jefferson County was made, supporting Project Lead the Way, Dream It/Do It, and Project-Based Learning at the K-12 level, as well as training equipment at Ivy Tech Community College. These technical programs are now well established. The next step is to continue building a seamless framework to move residents through educational processes and into successful employment.
Why is this important to Jefferson County? Based on federal and state workforce projections, EcO15 surveys and discussions with employers, it is anticipated the advanced manufacturing economy in Southeast Indiana will need to attract five hundred to seven hundred (500 to 700) skilled people for technical roles each year for the next ten years. Considering the importance of business retention to the economic vitality of a community, the need for a skilled workforce becomes significant.
The development of an advanced manufacturing/engineering pathway is a vital step to be taken by our region in the expansion of engineering and technology related programs required by the advanced manufacturing industry in particular and other technically driven industries in our region. Joining with EcO15 is the Indiana Education Roundtable. The Roundtable is supporting a network of regions in Indiana to explore ways to increase the numbers of students entering technical education and following a path into college and into employment in the stat's key economic sectors.
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