Ivy Tech Community College is making online job training modules free for 10,000 Hoosiers. It’s aimed at helping workers who have been furloughed or laid off permanently get skills before heading back into the workforce.
The free online programs offer certifications in advanced manufacturing, information technology and business. Participants can take more than one class and don’t have to currently work in that field. However, they must be an Indiana resident. Companies including Amatrol donated access to the training.
David Balkin is chancellor for the Ivy Tech South Bend-Elkhart campus. He says the initiative was started so workers who were sent home could use the time as an opportunity to grow rather than stagnate.
“So, our point is to invest in the people that are going to help grow our state and help support our infrastructure as we move forward and rebound from the current crisis,” he says.
Ivy Tech says it plans to offer more free trainings and classes this summer, and some of those future programs will award college credits.