INDIANAPOLIS (May 4, 2021) – Alexandria-Monroe High School, in partnership with Indiana’s Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship (OWBLA) and Essential Senior Health and Living, has developed a Healthcare State Earn and Learn (SEAL) program that was recognized at a recent ceremony.
The SEAL program includes 1,500 total hours of related training and paid career training experiences. Students can earn up to 26 college credits from Ivy Tech Community College and four industry-valued certifications.
The ceremony included representatives from Alexandria-Monroe School Corporation, Indiana Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship, Region 5 Workforce Development Board, U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), and Essential Senior Health and Living.
This SEAL program is a state recognized pre-apprenticeship program that aligns with a USDOL Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP). During the event, all 12 students with their parents signed an apprenticeship agreement with their respective employers.
This SEAL program is the first comprehensive high school healthcare program in the state of Indiana where all students are enrolled in a RAP during high school. The Region 5 Workforce Development Board (WDB) is the Intermediary Sponsor through the USDOL.
At the completion of the apprenticeship program, individuals will earn a national occupational credential recognized by the USDOL.
Dr. Melissa Brisco, Superintendent of Alexandria Community School Corporation, said, “Alexandria Community Schools understands the importance of developing a workforce that supports our community and families. Working hand in hand with employers and staff to develop students with life skills and employable skill sets is part of our mission. The partnership with Essential Senior Health and Living is a prime example of the type of collaboration necessary to build a successful program. Students are learning skills that will help them succeed in life and have a better understanding of careers in the medical field. Programs like this benefit our kids, but they also benefit our community. That's the goal.”
“Essential Senior Health and Living is proud to partner with the Alexandria Monroe High School Healthcare SEAL program,” said Penny Stevens, Business Development Director at Essential Senior Health and Living. "This program benefits our business by allowing us to grow and develop our future workforce and supports our mission: committed to creating an environment that fosters compassionate care and meaningful relationships with those we serve.”
“On behalf of the Board, congratulations to Alexandria-Monroe Schools and its employer partner, Essential Senior Health and Living, on the implementation of the Healthcare State Earn and Learn Program. This work-based learning program, which satisfies high school graduation pathways requirements, connects well to both employment and further training such as the Registered Apprenticeship Program, sponsored by the Region 5 Workforce Board. The Region 5 Workforce Board is pleased to be a partner in this Health Careers work-based learning initiative and believes it will help create a talent pipeline for the Healthcare and Support industry sector. Much success to all the new apprentices in their healthcare careers,” said Lance Ratliff, Executive Director of the Region 5 Workforce Board/WorkOne.
A senior in the program, Gracyn Hosier, said, “After high school I will attend Anderson University with the hopes of becoming an OB nurse and I will work with Northview Health and Living since it is the closest facility to my school. My favorite part of the class has been the friends that I have made and the relationships I have developed with the residents.”
Gracyn’s mother, Amanda Hosier, said, “I think it has been a great opportunity for her. Not all high school students know what they want to do when they leave, so to get your foot in the door and get some experience and decide if this is the right path is great, and she has decided that it is, and I think that this will be a great step for her to continue her career.”
 Back(L-R): Tom Johns, principal, Alexandria Monroe High School; Beth Harpe, CEO, Essential Senior Health and Living; Lance Ratliff, Executive Director, Region 5 Workforce Development Board; John Delgado, Director, USDOL’s Office of Apprenticeship
Front (L-R): Mickey Hosier, Gracyn Hosier, Amanda Hosier
Mee Hee Smith, Regional Director for OWBLA, shared the commitment and collaboration of the school partners, employer partners, and community to support this program. She spoke on the development and planning that went on at the onset of the pandemic.
She said, “It is amazing to see the students tonight because when we began building this program there were no students yet, but we knew there would be so thank you to the students for staying with it even with the challenges, we did this for you and the students that will continue to be in the program after this year.”
Tom Johns, Principal of Alexandria-Monroe High School, noted, “I couldn't be more proud of the hard and necessary work that we've put into this program that will benefit not only students from Alexandria but our healthcare partner Essential Health. What helped our program to be so successful was the countless hours we've put into talking to the various hospitals around us and hearing what they need from their employees. This really allowed us to think hard and be more intentional about what we wanted this program to look like. This collaborative effort between our school, Ivy Tech and Essential Health will be the blueprint for how we proceed in developing other apprenticeship programs/certifications in other career fields.”
“Since standing up Indiana’s Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship, we have been building and putting into place a true statewide system to support programs like this,” said Darrel Zeck, Executive Director of OWBLA. “This is a fantastic example of the U.S. Department of Labor, the State of Indiana, and our regional workforce development boards working together to support local schools and businesses in developing and sustaining talent pipelines based on their needs. Comprehensive programs like SEALs and Registered Apprenticeships are successful because of the support and professional expertise that the team brings in building the programs and public-private partnerships.”
SEAL programs are Indiana’s state-level apprenticeship type programs. They are designed to deliver work and learn experience for participants along with the skills and certifications that employers value. These programs are geared toward both adult and youth populations, and they satisfy Indiana’s high school graduation pathway requirements.
DWD projects Indiana employers will need to fill more than 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.
For more information about the Alexandria-Monroe School Corporation SEALs or SEALs in general, visit the OWBLA website at www.INwbl.com or email the Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship at wbl@dwd.in.gov.
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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.
About the Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship
The Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship, located within the Department of Workforce Development and part of Governor Holcomb’s NextLevel Agenda, serves to develop and implement a framework of work-based learning pathways for both youth and adult populations with a concentration on certified State Earn and Learn (SEAL) and U.S. DOL Registered Apprenticeship programs.
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