Ivy Tech – Franklin receives workforce readiness grant

Ivy Tech Community College – Franklin has received a 2022 American Water Charitable Foundation Workforce Readiness Grant in support of its early college program for high school students focused on advanced manufacturing and the development of its campus Advanced Manufacturing Lab.

The $25,000 grant will help the college outfit the state-of-the-art Advanced Manufacturing Lab with industry-grade equipment to help prepare students for advanced manufacturing careers. The lab will support local industry employers in upskilling and training their workforce and will offer programming opportunities for high school early college initiatives.

Ivy Tech partners with Center Grove High School and Clark-Pleasant community schools to offer the Johnson County Advanced Manufacturing Program (JCAmp) in which high school students can earn an associate degree from Ivy Tech in industrial technology while concurrently earning their high school diploma.

“This program has been three years in the making and has become a reality with the American Water Charitable Foundation’s support” said Stephanie Amos, Ivy Tech Vice Chancellor of Johnson and Shelby counties. “I am so excited to see students now in the program and have these students on our Ivy Tech campus in January. This is a great opportunity for students to earn an associate degree at no cost to them or their families while creating a workforce pipeline for our industry partners. We are sincerely grateful to the American Water Charitable Foundation for their generosity.”

As part of JCAmp, students have opportunities in their junior and senior years to participate in paid, on-the-job training with local industry partners, including Endress + Hauser, NSK and Caterpillar Remanufacturing. This year is the first cohort of students in the program with seven freshmen from Whiteland High School and 22 from Center Grove High School participating.

The Workforces Readiness grant is part of the American Water Charitable Foundation’s Keep Communities Flowing Grant Program. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization established by American Water, the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company, and aims to support high-impact projects and initiatives that further American Water’s commitment to ESG, as well as inclusion, diversity, and equity.

“The American Water Charitable Foundation is committed to participating and investing in programs that benefit communities served by American Water,” said Carrie Williams, president of the American Water Charitable Foundation. “We are proud to further American Water’s ongoing commitment to being a good neighbor and strong partner in the community.”

Ivy Tech Franklin also recently received a BIGS grant through the Johnson County Community Foundation to support the program.