South Bend Regional Chamber Of Commerce: Area Schools Named In High School EARN Indiana Program

Press release from the South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce:

February 11, 2022

South Bend Community School Corporation, Penn High School, Career Academy and New Prairie High School are among more than 20 high schools and regional partnerships selected for the state’s pilot program to match those students and employers to work-based learning opportunities via the Employment Aid Readiness Network (EARN) Indiana grant. The EARN Indiana program is the state’s work-study program, previously limited to college-enrolled students. Now, high schoolers with financial need also will have access to resume-building, experiential, paid internships, while employers receive state matching funds–50% of the student’s hourly rate–for hiring them.

The EARN Indiana program is funded by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and managed through the state’s partnership with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s Work and Learn Indiana. The application review process was conducted by Work and Learn Indiana with the Indiana Department of Education, Indiana Commission for Higher Education and Governor’s Workforce Cabinet. The South Bend Regional Chamber was selected by the state to facilitate the efforts in St. Joseph County. Education partners South Bend Community School Corporation, Penn High School, Career Academy, New Prairie High School and 13 employer partners formed the initial South Bend Region collaboration to apply for the pilot. If you are interested in learning more about the program, contact Kate Lee, executive director of education and workforce with the South Bend Regional Chamber, at 574.400.4030.

“The history of the EARN Indiana program is serving students that might not otherwise be able to participate in work-based learning experiences,” explains Todd Hurst, executive director of the Institute for Workforce Excellence, a subsidiary of the Indiana Chamber. “With this investment, we look forward to helping hundreds of Indiana high school students be able to take advantage of this opportunity and create meaningful resume-building experiences, networking opportunities, career exploration and increased graduation pathways.”

“Work-based learning experiences are critical to helping students find the right career and educational pathways for their individual lives,” says Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers. “We applaud the innovative ways the grant recipients plan on using the funding and look forward to seeing the outcomes from this pilot program.”

Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education, concurs. “Whether a student is working towards employment, enrollment or enlistment leading to service, our students deserve to have access to pathways leading them towards their unique goals,” Jenner adds. “By expanding access to the EARN Indiana program into high school, more students will gain work-based learning experiences before graduation, better preparing them for a successful future ahead.”

Awardees will go through an implementation phase with the Work and Learn Indiana team, Indiana Department of Education and Governor’s Workforce Cabinet. They will receive supplemental grant funds to assist with implementation.

Throughout the grant process, Work and Learn Indiana will work with state partners to potentially expand access and opportunity to even more students in the coming months.

This press release was produced by the South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce. The views expressed here are the author’s own.