BEDFORD — After three weeks of technical and employability skills training, seven Lawrence County residents were celebrated earlier this month at the StoneGate Arts & Education Center as the fifth graduating class of the Lawrence County Introduction to Local Jobs and Skills program.
Every participant in this fifth cohort earned certification in CPR, Stop the Bleed, Health Science Instruction, and 16-Hour Automotive Technician Training.
Through this process coordinated by the Lawrence County Economic Growth Council’s Workforce Coalition, students were able to decide on paths of health science or auto servicing. A portion of the students will be continuing their education with the Lawrence County Adult Education program to obtain their High School Equivalency Diplomas (HSE). A few students intend to enroll in Indiana’s NextLevelJobs program, as they’ve shown interest in advancing on to health science/automotive servicing/welding careers. (Through the local program, students can enter the HSE and NextLevelJobs program at no cost.) In addition to these education opportunities, students leave the training with one or more interviews with local employers seeking candidates with these qualifications.
“It was a privilege working with each of the participants and seeing them take on new challenges and learn new information each class session,” said Connor Williams, LCEGC program manager. “It is exciting to see participants follow their next steps as a result of these new opportunities.”
Tony Ledford, a traveling preacher whose goal is to serve and find ways to “pitch in” to lend a helping hand wherever he goes said, “This program was very valuable, and it can be a second chance for many students. In this day and age, the soft skills that we learned in class like CPR are being lost… Willingness to help is how we are going to become a community. The Lawrence County Workforce Coalition set the example that now we as students can follow.”
Ledford’s fellow graduates are Stephanie Fleck, Eva Phillips, Jesse Prince, Derik Phillips, Matthew Green and Tyler Huber.
Partnerships with local justice-involved entities initially provided a pool of students seeking to “skill up” and explore potential careers.
“This program is a culmination of discussions with employers and community stakeholders throughout the past three years,” said Joe Timbrook, LCEGC director of career development. “We know there is a large population of residents in Lawrence County that, with some training, could fill the current increasingly high employment openings we see with our local and high-demand jobs.”
Timbrook the program’s sponsor, Lawrence County Community Foundation, and partners, North Lawrence Career Center and Stone Gate Arts & Education Center. He also thanked instructors Arienne Evans and Brad Grow.
“This program is life changing, and it’s been humbling to witness,” he said. “However, none of it would have been possible without this community of invested stakeholders coming together to make it happen.”
The Lawrence County Workforce Coalition is currently accepting students for the next cohort. The ideal student is a Lawrence County resident not yet earning a living wage. Potential students, or employers interested in conducting interviews and/or getting involved, should contact Williams at 812-275-4493 or [email protected].