Staff Reports
A Columbus East High School graduate became the first student from Bartholomew County to attend the Erskine Green Training Institute.
Dillion Hashman, who graduated from East last month, applied to the Muncie-based institute during his senior year and was accepted through a competitive application and selection process. Monday was Hashman’s first day in the program.
Opened in 2016 by the Arc of Indiana Foundation, the Erskine Green Training Institute provides post-secondary vocational training for people with disabilities. The institute trains its students for future employment in one of several areas, including food service, healthcare support and hospitality.
Hashman will train through the institute’s 13-week kitchen cook program, but this won’t be his first time working in a restaurant. Hashman previously bussed tables at Blackerby’s Hangar 5 at the Columbus Municipal Airport. The additional education and training he receives at the institute will allow him to pursue new opportunities within the restaurant setting.
Students at Erskine Green Training Institute complete coursework followed by an internship period. Students also develop a range of soft skills and receive continued support and resources even after completion of the program.
Hashman will graduate from the institute on Oct. 4. After the program’s conclusion this fall, he said he hopes to put his new skills to use and find a job working in a restaurant as a trained kitchen cook.
