 Michigan City High School earns advanced manufacturing SEAL certification
State Earn and Learn program offers students avenue to industry credentials and on-the-job training
INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 5, 2020) – Students at Michigan City High School seeking to pursue a career in advanced manufacturing can graduate as a Certified Production Technician with specific industry credentials and work experience now that the school has been certified as a State Earn and Learn (SEAL) program.
The school has partnered with several compressed air companies in the area to launch the Compressed Air Academy, where high school students get industry-tailored instruction, hands-on experience with equipment, on-the-job training and opportunities to continue their education or enter the workforce upon graduation.
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) is helping to skill-up the state’s workforce by developing and facilitating comprehensive work-based learning programs with education and industry partners, offering SEAL certificates to employers and high schools through its Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship (OWBLA).
During a Feb. 4 ceremony, Michigan City Area Schools administrators, employers and community partners convened to accept the certification from DWD officials of the Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship.
“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 and Apprenticeship. “Michigan City High School is a big addition to the SEAL certification initiative and its mission to help provide Indiana employers with a skilled workforce.”
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 MCHS, the Compressed Air Academy is a partnership involving the Economic Development Corporation of Michigan City and compressed air companies Sullair, Boss Industries, Dekker Vacuum Technologies, Sullivan-Palatek, Compress Air, Mikropor, Cook Compression, Freezing Systems and Services, LEFCO, Midstates Refrigeration and Supply, and Vanair.
Three of the companies donated industry-grade air compressors and vacuum systems for the classroom. Several consulted with Michigan City Area Schools educators as they designed the program, and one even shared its training manual to aid in development of the curriculum.
Beyond that, companies are mentoring students, hosting field trips, and offering paid internships, said Dr. Barbara Eason-Watkins, Superintendent of Michigan City Area Schools.
“From the outset, businesses understood that they would need to have a deep level of involvement to ensure students’ success,” she said. “They were eager to help us and are committed to continuing this work.”
To give the program additional credibility, the school system sought out the state’s SEAL program.
“SEAL certification shows that our program has been vetted and approved at the state level,” Eason-Watkins said. “This demonstrates to industry that we are offering a high-quality, results-oriented pathway for our students.”
MCHS piloted the program during the 2018-19 school year, with seven students enrolled. Now in its first full year, the academy has grown to 45 students.
The curriculum designed by school and industry leaders centers on the operation, troubleshooting and repair of compressors and incorporates National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) materials that offer certificates for each level of completion.
Dual credit in advanced manufacturing is offered to students of the academy through Ivy Tech Community College. Students in the program can earn up to 21 credits over four years in addition to six industry-recognized certifications. DWD projects Indiana employers will need to fill 1 million additional jobs in the next 10 years, half of which will not require a four-year college degree, but some type of certification or credential beyond a high school diploma.
The WBL program is part of Gov. Holcomb’s NextLevel Jobs initiative.
For more information about the SEAL program or the Compressed Air Academy, email the DWD Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship at wbl@dwd.in.gov.
 Dr. Barbara Eason-Watkins, Superintendent of Michigan City Area Schools (holding certificate), helped lead the effort to get Michigan City High School’s Compressed Air Academy certified as a State Earn and Learn (SEAL) program. Present for the Feb. 4 ceremony from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development were Darrel Zeck, Executive Director of the Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship (third from left), Carrie Lively, Senior Director of the Office (second from right), and Matthew Presley, Regional Director of the Office (third from right).
###
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, 317-234-8576, solson@dwd.in.gov
Find us on Facebook | Twitter
|
