Ivy Tech Community College marked the grand opening of the new Industrial Career Academy at its Crawfordsville satellite campus on Friday.
Ivy Tech President Sue Ellspermann and Crawfordsville Mayor Todd Barton joined other academic and business leaders for the ribbon cutting.
The academy is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at bridging the gap between education and industry, ensuring a skilled workforce that meets the evolving demands of today’s competitive job market. Ivy Tech is partnering with the Indiana Next Generation Manufacturing Competitiveness Center, or IN-MaC, at Purdue University, West Central Indiana CTE and several industry partners to create a high school-to-career pathway for students in Montgomery and Boone counties.
Through the academy, students will be connected with industry partners to obtain skills training and work experience in manufacturing with the goal of being able to make informed decisions about their future upon graduation. The industry partners include Lakeside Book Co., an Illinois-based printing services company with a presence in Crawfordsville, as well as Pace Dairy Foods in Crawfordsville and Closure Systems International in Indianapolis.
“As the Mayor of Crawfordsville, I am thrilled to witness the realization of the Industrial Career Academy at Ivy Tech Community College,” Barton said. “This collaborative endeavor underscores our commitment to addressing the critical demand for skilled maintenance technicians within our local workforce. The academy’s focus on providing top-tier education and training aligns perfectly with our vision of equipping our residents with the tools they need for successful, high-quality, and well-paying jobs.”
Barton said the biggest challenge facing the community is the workforce.
“It is our fundamental challenge. We have to come to terms with workforce before we can solve any of the other challenges we face. We are not alone in that. We know that, but if we are to succeed, we must successfully meet this challenge, and if we are to excel, we must meet this challenge in new and innovative ways. The Industrial Career Academy will help us do just that.”
Sara Nicodemus, director of West Central Indiana CTE, is equally enthusiastic about the new academy and its inaugural class of six area students.
“These partnerships aren’t just transactional, they are transformative,” she said. “They are the bridge between theory and practice, classroom, and career. They are forming the bedrock of our students’ success. The significance of this program extends beyond these walls. The ICA isn’t just a place of learning, it’s a launchpad for their dreams, the generator of opportunities, and the catalyst for growth in our community.”
Dan Wheeler, who works in human resources at Lakeside Book Company, called the academy a win, win, win.
“A win for our students, a win for our community and a win for our industries in town,” Wheeler said. “We have talked about the loss of skills in our community, the wave of craft or skilled retirements in the community, and now we are doing something about it. This is action, not just talk.”
Wheeler is hopeful for the future success of the program and its students.
“I look at the students and I see a highly paid, skilled machine operator in the future. I see a highly skilled maintenance technician in the future. I see a highly paid electrician in the future.”
The launch of the Industrial Career Academy is a true testament to the power of partnerships between education and industry, said Aaron Baute, chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College.
“This academy represents our unwavering commitment to providing our students with the tools, knowledge and experience they need to thrive in their careers while driving meaningful economic growth in Crawfordsville,” he said.
Ellspermann described the new academy as “incredible.”
“Good things happen when you bring partnerships like this together,” she said. “We all work together to provide the best opportunities for students to succeed, to stay in our communities, to thrive, to be the workforce that you are looking for. These partnerships with local employers are just critical to fill the jobs of the future. They are exciting jobs, they’re high-tech jobs, they are incredibly important positions.”
The two-year program will be open to high school juniors and seniors in the Crawfordsville, North Montgomery, Southmont, and Western Boone school districts.
Juniors in the program will work one day per week with an industry partner, following a supervised training plan. In the first semester of their senior year, students will move up to three days per week before moving into a paid internship in the second semester.
Students will also be able to earn credits at Ivy Tech and work toward an Industrial Electrical Certificate.
