State Earn & Learn certifications big part of DWD's
effort to skill-up workforce
INDIANAPOLIS (June 4, 2019) – Hamilton Heights High School in northern Hamilton County has accomplished a big milestone by being certified to offer the first State Earn and Learn (SEAL) program in Indiana designed for the construction industry.
Through this innovative partnership with industry and education, students at Hamilton Heights in Arcadia will have the opportunity to earn industry-valued credentials while participating in paid on-the-job training. Students also will have regular interaction with a variety of construction-related employers providing them with exposure to building trades, construction management, engineering and other career opportunities through the construction industry.
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) is helping to skill-up the state’s workforce by offering SEAL certificates to employers and high schools through its Office of Work-Based Learning & Apprenticeship (OWBLA).
“We have multiple schools and companies currently utilizing SEALs to advance Indiana’s workforce,” said Darrel Zeck, executive director of DWD’s Office of Work-Based Learning & Apprenticeship. “Most of these programs offer dual credit, so while students may be entering the workforce upon graduation from high school, their school work could also lead to a certificate or associate’s degree at the same time.”
SEALs are structured, scalable programs ranging from just eight weeks to two years in length and include industry certifications tailored for any sector. They are designed to meet the skills that employers demand, are geared toward both adult and youth populations, and satisfy Indiana’s new graduation pathway requirements.
For instance, in early May, OWBLA presented Perry Central High School in southern Indiana with two SEAL certificates for its advanced manufacturing and health care programs. Madison High School has earned SEAL certifications in manufacturing and welding.
“We have those schools like Madison, Perry Central, and now Hamilton Heights that are finding the ways to put together the programs that our workforce needs and what Indiana’s graduation pathways require,” Zeck said.
 About 40 students at Hamilton Heights High School are expected to participate next fall in a new State Earn and Learn construction program, the first of its kind in the state.
Eric Fisher, industrial tech and National Center for Construction Education and Research teacher at Hamilton Heights, said the construction program is expected to draw 40 students this fall.
“The architectural engineering and construction industry is in dire need of young talent,” Fisher said. “This program will help cultivate the next generation of workforce in the industry.”
DWD projects that employers in the state will need to fill 1 million additional jobs in the next decade, half of which won’t require a four-year college degree, but some type of certification or credential beyond a high school diploma.
DWD’s Office of Work-Based Learning & Apprenticeship partnered with the Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation to get Hamilton Heights’ construction program started.
OWBLA, housed within DWD, is part of Gov. Holcomb’s NextLevel Jobs initiative. For more information about these programs contact Brittany Van Hook, operations coordinator, at BVanhook1@dwd.IN.gov.
 Darrel Zeck and Carrie Lively of DWD’s Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship present a State Earn and Learn certificate to Hamilton Heights teacher Eric Fisher, who leads the high school’s construction program.
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About the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
DWD serves the worker and the employer to ensure workplace success. DWD is committed to innovating and invigorating Indiana’s economic future by providing WorkOne Career Centers, Unemployment Insurance, Labor Market Information, Regional Workforce Strategies and Professional Training. Through these services, DWD is able to develop a premier workforce that enables Indiana employers to flourish and entices businesses from outside our state to relocate to Indiana.
For additional information, contact:
Scott Olson, 217-234-8576, solson@dwd.in.gov
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