Julie Hayes, a quality control inspector at Cook Medical, smiles as she shares how she decided to return to college.
I didn't have a basic class on my first try, so I took two classes in one semester at Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington while working full time. She ultimately earned a certificate in Business Administration for free thanks to the My Cook Pathway program, which she graduated in December.
“It was just overwhelming to not be able to finish it in December and be like, ‘Oh my god, I really did it,’” Hayes said.
Hayes is one of thousands of Indiana employees whose education and training is paid for by their employers. Ivy Tech is a partner for these employers seeking relevant and custom courses.
Indiana business leaders, including the Chamber of Commerce, noted that recent increases in skills-based training could help fix leaks in the state's talent pipeline and fill available jobs. In 2022, Gov. Eric Holcomb's Cabinet proposed that employers improve their workforce by increasing on-the-job training and learning.
“Showing your employees that you're invested in them keeps them happy, satisfied, and ultimately retains them on your team,” says Sarah Cady, employer consultant at Ivy Tech Bloomington. “This is a very important and influential way to do so.”
The Cabinet highlighted Ivy Tech in its Achieve Your Degree program. It's a partnership with nearly 300 Indiana employers to help workers earn a certificate or associate degree with no upfront cost.
This program, along with My Cook Pathway, helped Hayes earn her certification for free. And now she may return to Ivy Institute of Technology to earn her associate's degree.
“I learned so much,” Hayes said. “If anyone has the opportunity to use this program, they should.”
Cover the cost of professional development
The cabinet recommended that more Indiana businesses offer programs like My Cook Pathway. Her partner in the HR business, Amanda Sparks, helps connect Cook's employees with educational opportunities.
Sparks said many of his employees pursue their dreams while paying nothing or very little. Mr. Cook offers up to $5,250 in tuition assistance each year, and he offers 10 tracks of classes for certificates and associate degrees related to roles within the company.
Mr. Cook also holds bachelor's and master's degrees affiliated with Indiana Wesleyan University and Purdue Global University.
“I've seen someone's confidence level increase significantly, and I know they've accomplished something,” Sparks said. “Maybe he was someone I never thought would be able to do something like that.”
Sherry Dunbar-Kruzan is a talent development and recruitment manager at TASUS, a plastic injection molding company in Bloomington. Ivy Tech is her neighbor and a “huge investment” in the growth of TASUS' workforce, she said.
TASUS follows the principles of the Toyota Production System, she said. Two of her pillars of philosophy emphasize respect for employees and continuous improvement. If an employee works for TASUS for at least one year, the company will pay for their education at Ivy Tech.
Dunbar-Cruzan said that in his industry, people can easily move back and forth between jobs. But TASUS wants to retain its employees, so it needs to think about investing in and improving its workforce, she said.
“We want this to be a career, not just a job,” Dunbar-Cruzan said. “We want them to think, “If I wanted to, I could start as an operator and eventually become a manager.''
Ivy Tech's flexible and customized courses
Emily Sandberg, Ivy Tech's assistant vice president of communications, said 157 employers and more than 21,200 students have taken classes or used the services of the Ivy+ Career Link program. . The initiative was launched in 2022 as a career development program for students, employers and the community.
Cady works with local employers and industry partners to create specialized training for their employees. Each employer will be assessed to determine what skills they need, she said.
“Is it a step up the career ladder? Is it new employee training?” Caddy said. “From there, I took that information back to the Ivy Tech team and worked with several faculty members to identify potential programs that could connect existing programs (academic-based or skills-based) to client needs. To do. “
Dunbar-Cruzan said TASUS employees are working with universities to learn soft and technical skills. She is working with Cady to set up the course, and Cady said she is also helping TASUS receive grants to pay for the education of its employees.
“The great thing about Ivy Tech is that Sarah and I got together and said, 'This is what we want to do,'” Dunbar-Cruzan said. “She said, let me figure it out. Call an expert in the field and it will work.”
When employees are promoted to leadership positions, they often don't have the necessary skills, Dunbar-Cruzan says. Recently, Ivy Tech provided leadership training to her TASUS employees, including communication skills, conflict resolution, and technical skills.
“We are absolutely focused on growth opportunities,” Dunbar-Cruzan said. “If we have an open position, we will post it internally before posting externally.”
Ivy Tech Bloomington has “off-the-shelf options” for industry-standard courses such as ServSafe, CPR, Microsoft Excel and human resources certifications, Cady said.
However, some employers create custom classes because they want something tailored to their workplace. Cook Medical was looking for training in programmable logistics controllers, the computers that help run manufacturing equipment, Cady said. The director of industrial technology at Ivy Tech in Bloomington learned more about the program to build customized courses.
Sparks said Cook's partnership with Ivy Tech is popular because of the degree courses offered.
“We encourage organizations considering starting a tuition-based program for their employees to contact Ivy Tech to find out what options the Achievers degree program offers '' Sparks said. “It’s been a really great partner for us and for the people in the community.”
