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Region 10 Submits Grant Proposal for Four Initiatives.

The Region 10 Skill Up Partners, consisting of school corporations in Clark, Crawford, Floyd, Harrison, Scott and Washington counties in Indiana, submitted a Skill UP! III grant application focusing on four major initiatives:

• Expansion of the PRIDE-Governor’s Work Ethic Certification;
• Support of the high school academy model;
• Creation of a Construction Trades Training Center; and
• Increase of existing mentoring programs.

In Region 10, Greater Clark County Schools several years ago established a College and Career Advisory Board that included K-12 education, post-secondary, business and non-profit organizations, and elected officials. The purpose of the board, which grew to 95 participants, was to develop a specific action plan that would connect education with community businesses and organizations to improve workforce and economic development. An initial product of this endeavor was the PRIDE-Work Ethic Certification program which has become a model around the state and, of which, the current Governor’s Work Ethic Certification was modeled.

In March of 2017, Greater Clark County Schools became the 36th Ford NGL community in the United States. Region 10 Skill Up Partners wants to support Greater Clark in its efforts to implement the PRIDE-Governor’s Work Ethic Certification and Academy Model as well as implement these concepts into other school districts/communities throughout the region.

As part of Region 10 Partners’ efforts to enhance the talent development pipeline, an innovative partnership has formed to bring a Construction Trades Training Center to our region. Skilled trades is a major area of workforce need, and regional partners want to develop and implement this training center to develop the talent needed to meet demand. Region 10 Partners also plans to expand a successful mentoring partnership between the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) and regional employers, which has already built numerous meaningful mentoring relationships at-risk high school students and regional corporate employees by assisting BBBS in increasing the number of high school students who can participate in this highly effective mentoring program.

The decision on funding will be made by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development by the end of January.