Getting Students Ready To Think Outside The College Box

Last updated on Wednesday, December 10, 2014

(BEDFORD) - With college costs on the rise, there has been a renewed push to provide alternatives to the four-year college route.

For some students, that will include transitioning more quickly from high school into a career.

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development indicates 55 percent of Indiana's jobs require a middle-skill level that nearly half of Hoosier workers simply don't have. Those positions include electricians, mechanics and others who keep infrastructure up and running. That skill gap is projected to grow in the years to come. Despite this information, only 6.7 percent of Indiana's high school seniors planned to pursue an apprenticeship or attend a career-technical college.

With these facts in mind, the Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) is hosting a forum on how educators, counselors, youth ministers, youth workers and parents can help teens think outside the college box and prepare for life after high school.

The forum will feature representatives from the Region 8 Works Council, including Christi McBride and Alan Dafoe of the Hoosier Hills Career Center, as well as Kim Fraiser of Stimulus Engineering. The Works Council is a group of local leaders who help prepare Hoosiers for the workforce by creating a new set of standards for career and technical education. Region 8 covers Owen, Monroe, Brown, Greene, Daviess, Martin, Lawrence and Orange counties.

The forum will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12 at the Stone Gate Arts and Education Center, 405 I Street, Bedford, 47241.

As part of IYI's Youth Worker Cafe program, the forum and lunch are free, but reservations are required. RSVP by noon on Thursday, Dec. 11 at Lawrence County YWC or by contacting IYI Statewide Outreach Manager Debbie Jones at djones@iyi.org.

Youth Worker Cafes are designed to bring together local youth workers to build relationships and inspire collaborations that will benefit children. This Youth Worker Café is made possible by the collaborative efforts of Daviess County Community Foundation, Washington Carnegie Public Library and IYI.

For more information on the Youth Worker Cafe, contact IYI Southeast Indiana Outreach Manager Michelle Sanchez at msanchez@iyi.org.

1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com

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